The Rosette

 Life journey's.  We're all on one.  Each of our journey's consist of seasons.  Seasons that make us who we are.  We all need to experience each season in our life to experience growth. In order for us to truly experience joy despite our life circumstances we must be made whole in Christ...COMPLETE.  Flaws and all, NOT perfect!  God says the we may have LIFE and have it FULL, ABUNDANTLY!  John 10:10 says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."  It's our flaws and our imperfections that Christ perfects within us to that we may be made holy.  Another word for holy is RESTORED.

I love that! Christ restores!  He doesn't discard me or pack me up donating me to the local thrift store like so many of us do with our wanted or disfunctioning items.  Christ doesn't do that with us, thank goodness!  These Rosettes are a testimony of just that.  Many years ago Christ had plans for me in which I wasn't quite aware of at that time due to MY own agenda.  About three years ago late in the night of making these lovely adornments, God made His sweet presence very abundantly clear to me.  It was a newness I hadn't felt in a really long time.  He refreshed me and renewed me.  He revealed to me a beautiful story in which I'm about to share.

  
The material that is used for each Rosette is from thrift stores or yard sales.  Clothing items that have been tossed aside and no longer wanted or needed.  That's how we feel at times, but Christ will scoop us up and heal the brokenhearted, He will be the Father to the fatherless and He will make beautiful what was intended for harm.  My prayer is that this will bless and encourage you.

Each petal represents a season in our life. It is always held by our Creator God.  As we go through life's journey we are being shaped and formed by Him.  Containing the fray's that we are without Him.  Sometimes we may go through hard times and have to walk through fire but we will not be consumed.  We have the promise of Isaiah 43:2 which says, "...when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."

That season will come to an end as we grow and mature in Him.  A new season begins...'a new petal held in His Hands.'  Same process because God doesn't change, but for us different experiences, different shaping, different growing to be made.  We're imperfect in the Perfector's Hands.  For His Hands make and fashion us according to Psalm 119:73.

 
 God continues this process with each of our 'petal' seasons.  He is the one who changes times and seasons in ours lives (Daniel 2:21.)  All the while He's layering each season one atop of the other.  Each getting smaller as we are continuing our walk with Him trusting and believing in the work He is doing in us.

As time goes on and we're seeking God and He's giving us the full life, He's revealing to us the magnificent masterpiece that He always knows that we are.  You are His beautiful rose that He treasures and adores.  Deuteronomy 7:6 tells us, "...The LORD your God had chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession..."  God treasures you!  You are His delight!  God loves you just as you are, not as you THINK you should be.

Sometimes it's hard to remember that we are His beautiful treasure.  That He delights in us as we are going through challenging, tough times.  When we're being shaped and don't like the aches of growing pains or just maybe we're having to walk pretty close if not through that fire.  It is easy to forget that we are treasure.  But treasure must be refined through fire.  There may be bonds that have us so bound that it is necessary for us to be in that firery trial in order to allow those bonds to be burned off and for us to be released from it.  Those bonds will fall right off as Christ brings you out through the other side victoriously!  One translation of 1Peter 1:7 says, "The purpose of these troubles is to test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is.  Your faith is more precious than gold, and by passing the test, it gives praise, glory, and honor to God."

These tests strengthens our faith.  Serving Christ isn't always about being protected from difficulty.  We are ALWAYS in His hands through those difficulties.  He doesn't let go of you.  He's got you!  Sometimes He may be guiding while others He is carrying you through.  Jesus Christ is the Author and Perfector of our faith.  He is making us complete.

Everyday, we are faced with challenges.  It is in every day that we are renewed.  Don't let yesterday's failures and disappointments weigh you down today.  Worrying over mistakes is a waste of our time and energy that leads us to frustration.  Release all your mistakes to Christ.  Look to Him in trust - anticipating, expecting and having a mind-set that God is in control. Our failures are highlights of our dependence on Christ.  He is the One and Only who can bring absolute beauty out of the overwhelming mass of our mistakes.  Begin anew this day...focusing only on today - seeking to please God and to walk in His ways. Joy and Peace because God is with you each step of the way.  "But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.' Michah 7:7

Those seasons WILL pass.  They don't last forever.  Don't let what you are going through define you.  God gives us the strength, the ability and the privilege of seeing each season through.  Isaiah 43:10 gives us a sweet promise, "Fear not, for I am your God; be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

So be encouraged when going through trials.  In the book of James, we're told to consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  Reflect back to how the Rosette was created.  Each petal season was brought to the flame to be shaped.  Some areas on the petal have singes, flaws, areas that we may want to hide, and reminders of trials it endured.  But as each petal was placed one atop of the other getting smaller as it went, the beauty was beginning to be revealed.  It was those flaws and the things that at the time of the season that appeared to be ugly and so bad to the point that it looked almost hideous yet it is those qualities that brings forth the uniqueness and absolute beauty to the Rosette.  God being the center of it creating this absolute amazing one-of-a-kind Masterpiece.  No two are alike.  Let this be a reminder of how God is always at work in us and what beautiful treasures we are to Him.

We all need seasons to grow.  We can't stay on one side of the sun and expect to be complete.  We can't have a full, abundant life without transformation, shaping, refining.  Just think how beautiful of a garden He's creating in you...

 

 Take care & be blessed,

Christy Krezman
Rosette Ministry