As I sat in a Lexington restaurant this weekend, I noticed something precious out of the corner of my eye.
A cute little girl, carrying a rose in a plastic case, walked by our table escorted by her dad.
Sitting at a table for two, they began to talk about what they were going to order; and as our table watched them interact with each other, we knew they were on a special “daddy-daughter date.”
After a few minutes, my friend and I commented on how cute they looked and my friend said to the little girl, “You look like a little princess.”
Grinning sweetly, she replied, “I’m my daddy’s princess.”
Her dad beamed ear to ear as we talked to the little girl about her big day……..He said, “Tell them what we’re doing today,” to which the little girl smiled and said, “We’re going to the ballet.”
We began eating our meal, but I couldn’t get my mind off the sweetness of the relationship of these two people.
The joy and love of the father;
the accepting heart of the little girl.
My mind began spinning with thoughts of God’s love for us and how He longs to call each of us His child.
I thought of how He loves us all with such pride and joy.
He, too, gave us a gift, not a rose wrapped in paper resting in a plastic case but a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger………
I thought of the verse in Song of Solomon that says,
I am a Rose of Sharon,
a lily of the valley.
Jesus is often referred to as this
Rose of Sharon in songs we sing.
John 3:16 says,
“For God so loved the world that He
gave us His one and only Son,
that whoever believes in Him shall
not perish but have eternal life.”
God gave His Rose……….to each of us.
But the true significance of this Christmas Gift was revealed 33 years after He was given.
Jesus didn’t just come to us in a manger..He died for us on a cross.
And then the beauty of the Gift bloomed as He conquered our greatest fear…death!
God’s Rose…ROSE from the dead!
He swallowed up the grave, and
that’s the gift that brings meaning to life.
Without the knowledge of the resurrection, Christmas represents just another birth, just another baby.
Deep inside I believe we all know this!
Every time we see a Nativity scene, we know there is more to this stable story than hay and animals and shepherds and even angels singing.
There’s the assurance that because this tiny baby boy entered the world, death lost all its power.
This Prince of Peace brought the Promise of Eternal Life!
How do we claim this promise??
In Acts, after Jesus had ascended back to Heaven, Peter is preaching to thousands and says, “God has made this Jesus whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
He is then asked this simple question,
“What shall we do??”
His reply is simple,
“Repent and be baptized,
every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins.
And you will receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit.”
God’s first gift, Jesus, is followed by another gift, the Holy Spirit.
Once we have received this gift, life is never, EVER, the same!
Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
We have a hope that does not disappoint.
And most of all, we are promised eternity in Heaven!
Romans 8:11 promises this,
And if the Spirit of Him who raised
Jesus from the dead is living in you,
He who raised Christ from the dead
will also give life to your mortal
bodies through his Spirit,
who lives in you.”
That’s why we can sing, “Joy to the World,” no matter what our life circumstances might be.
So, as I thought about the table behind us (can you tell my mind wanders easily even while eating), I couldn’t resist asking if I could take their picture for my blog and write about their special date.
Fear almost kept me from approaching them with such a strange request, but I could feel this nudge that wouldn’t leave me.
So, I got up and walked over and simply said, “I am a writer with a Christian blog, would you mind if I took your picture and wrote about you?”
The dad smiled and said, “Sure!”
I was overjoyed to capture this father/daughter moment so I could share it with all of you.
Maybe you’re struggling today, as Christmas approaches, longing to feel the love of God in the sparkling lights, the music, the joy of those around you.
In the midst of all your happy and sad emotions, remember this……
You have a Father who gave you His Rose….
He only asks that you accept Him.
When you do, you become a child of God and suddenly you are a prince or princess………..
a son or daughter of the King.
Push pause on the blog music to the right before listening.
In December of 2007 as our youngest son, Nick, was fighting brain cancer, I began to blog. Writing provided a way for me to release all of my questions, fears, and doubts. It also allowed me to share the ups and downs of Nick's journey with people who were praying for him all over the world. When Nick went Home in November of 2008, my blog became my way of searching for God in the midst of my deep heartache. My heart was broken and grief brought to the surface every emotion imaginable. Being able to release those emotions through my writing brought a sense of purpose to my pain. Having already walked the road of grief in 1992 when we lost our daughter to SIDS, I knew I needed a way to keep from falling into a pit of depression and despair. I had walked close to the edge of a bottomless pit when we lost our daughter,and I knew I couldn't let myself get that close to the edge again. This blog has been and continues to be my tiny corner of the world where I can share My Heart as I journey through God's Word.......thus the name........ My Heart His Words. Thank you for taking time to share life with me. If we do not meet while here on earth, I look forward to hearing all about your life when we reach our final destiny.........Heaven! Email me anytime at 
Oh wow Tammy this was phenomenal. I am just amazed how you see things in the ordinary world and can so easily turn it into a blessed event to relate it to others. I wish I had that wisdom to see and relate as you do. God certainly has given you a beautiful talent with words and love of Him. I certainly did love seeing the actual inspiration for your thoughts. They were precious. Thank you so much for sharing. Hugs, Sandy
I was reading along enjoying this blog very much but when It came to the picture it brought tears to my eyes. They look like just a regular daughter and dad and it made me happy.
Our three sons are night owls like me but our daughter Katie, and Walt are morning people so sometimes they would go out for breakfast together. It was so good for both of them.
I loved this post and your insight. Just what I needed.
Mary
Precious, just precious! : )