Itz Holistically Wholesome

Spring is in full swing, and so is my deck garden. I cannot help feeling a high sense of euphoria each time I open my back door, step outside, and feel the fresh air on my face, the warmth of the beautiful sun, and witness the amazing transformation taking place. There is something magical about nature and the beautiful treasures that she gives. Her kindness warms my heart and evokes a feeling of great hope and prosperity deep within me as I behold everything coming to life after a dull, long, and cold winter. What a sight to behold: such exquisiteness, from the lush green plants, soft colorful blossoms, to the sweet-smelling fragrance of the flowers. And oh, how can I forget the bees that visit to carry out their work of pollination?

I was pleasantly surprised to find that my rose plants have begun to flower. It was unexpected, as I thought they were still too young to bloom. Yet, deep down inside my gardening-loving bones, I was hoping they would.

These roses represent a season of trial and unexpected turns in the lives of my family, as well as great hope for a fulfilling and prosperous future. They were rejects, meant to be tossed away, yet here they are, symbolizing that even when things seem near their end, it’s not over until it’s done.

The Story of How They Came to Be

It was 2022, and the COVID-19 vaccine mandate was in full effect. There were so many uncertainties, as one could not be sure what would come next. It had been about six to eight months respectively since both my husband and I lost our jobs. I was also pregnant with our youngest child, Emmah-Rose. During that time, my husband did odd jobs to keep us afloat through an app called Task Rabbit. One of those job offers was for some gardening work. It was a one-off opportunity through the gig site, and since the rate was decent, he decided to accept it. Besides, it didn’t seem too hard.

I decided to accompany him that day because I love gardening and am always eager to learn more. Might I add that I was in my third trimester? That day, my husband’s job was to trim the garden flowers so they looked uniform, as they had grown a bit since the last time they were trimmed. In that garden was a rose bush that needed trimming. As my husband was cleaning up the shrubs and branches he had trimmed, I decided that instead of throwing everything out, I would take a few of the rose branches that had met their demise home and try to grow rose plants myself. After all, why pay for them when I could potentially have several free of cost with a little time and patience?

So I took the branches home, cut them into seven pieces (the number of completion), and stuck them in a pot containing soil. The rest is history. Almost two years later, I have my very own rose plants. It probably comes as no surprise that our daughter’s name is Emmah-Rose. And she is a rose in every way. Let me just insert a picture of her here.

What is remarkable about this is that the plant produced its very first flower right around the time that my hubby accepted this offer. And I am sure the rest will open soon. What a great way to celebrate? Now I have several rose bushes producing beautiful flowers to enhance my deck and brighten my days.

The Message

“But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength;
Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For You have been my stronghold
And a refuge in the day of my distress,” Psalms 59:16

The message in this journey of growth is a powerful one. It reminds me that throughout our season of rejection, disappointment, hardship, uncertainties, and unexpected downturns, hope lies ahead. And usually, the coming out of our trials and tribulations is greater than the struggle. As a matter of fact, it will be glorious. It’s like a mother travailing in labor for hours, wailing through every contraction, but as soon as she delivers that baby, the pain instantly vanishes and is replaced with unexplainable happiness.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” Jeremiah 29:11.

God always has the best plan for us. And since we know the end result of our struggles is victory, overcoming, and prosperity, you and I can rejoice through the storm because our celebratory moments are right up ahead if we stay the course.

God bless.