Rose of Sharon

The spring flowers are gone. The iris, daffodil, day lily and crocus have made their entrance and exit. There is a certain sadness with their passing. But the Rose of Sharon still greets each day with fresh blooms. The heat of August has not stopped the burst of cheerful color, although faded petals lie at its base. But that is not all. Each branch of this shrub is loaded with unopened buds — the promise of many more flowers to come.
The message of this plant is hope. It tells us that today is beautiful, but tomorrow and the next day can be  too. Each bud awaits its turn to bring beauty to a new day. 
When we consider life’s trajectory, we admit that some days are cold and depressing. Dark times will come. Fortunes rise and fall. But God promises His people “a future and a hope.” Jesus is that hope. He is  our “rose of Sharon.”    We need to remind each other of this continually. 
That hope will buoy us up when circumstances are negative. It will bring joy into moments of despair. It will be the light that guides us through heartache and confusion. That hope flows from the never-failing love of God.  
When petals fall at the end of a trying day, we have the hope of tomorrow — and beyond that, eternity.