I am very happy in the midst of my busyness take care my baby boy and did the company tasks, this weekend I could back to gardening. With my husband I walked around the garden and enjoying each flower there. In the rose section, I found a beautiful red rosebud. I am so excited and amazed then I touched it softly and said to my husband, “I cannot wait to see this beautiful rose blooming. What happens if with my hand I open its petals so the rose will be unfolded?” “I don’t think so my dear princess. You cannot unfold the rosebud “My husband replied gently.”There is a time to the rose will unfold beautifully. If we force it the rose will be dead. My dear, Let God unfold this rosebud according His time. Not our time. When? We even do not know. So just be patient to wait, sweetheart”
My husband’s last words made me ponder something. Waiting and be patient. Two things that are often become serious problems in our life. These two things are closely related. When we must be waiting, it means we have to be patient. Whatever we wait, there must be an element of patience. For simple examples, when we were waiting for the queue to meet our doctor, we have to be patient. When we had to queue up buying cinema tickets, we also have to be patient. Or things that more important and serious in life such as a marriage couple waiting for their baby or we are waiting for the God’s help of our problems. It all needs patience. The problem is we often so hard to be patient in waiting. Moreover when we faced very big problems and hard time, it will be so difficult to waiting with full of patience.
At the one time, David once prayed like this, “Hasten, O God, to save me; come quickly, Lord, to help me.” (Psalm 70:1) Was not we often prayed like this too? We said, “God, please don’t let me waiting too long, help me quickly, I could not stand it anymore. Please let me free now!” I really realized that there is no one who wants to endure too long facing with the problems. However, we often feel that God’s answer and help is too long, even sometimes too late. Because impatience, we tend to trapped to the alternatives that promising help quickly though its options are contrary with God’s will. Actually, God’s plan is never bad for us. His plans are always beautiful. But one thing that we have to know is, Beautiful in His time. Not in our time. As it is written:
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
But once again, the limitations of our ability to know and understand what God designed for us, make us cannot understand why God’s time is often not in line with our time. We even pushed God to work according to our time. We did not realize and forget that our time is not the same as God’s time. Apostle Paul said about this,
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.(2 Peter 3:8)
Let’s pay attention to an emphasis on the beginning of the verse above. “But do not forget this one thing” Why there should be this sentences? Because even though we are Christians we often failed to understand this thing. Impatience oftentimes becomes a stumble block to our faith. Tendency to impose God’s time in accordance with count of our time make us disappointed, grouchy, think that God does not care, does not remember or negligent. Then Peter reminds us again:
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Yes! Actually God never neglect. He never forgets to fulfill His promises. Yet we have to realize and really comprehend that God’s time is not the same as our time. I really know that it is not easy to be patient in the midst of hard pressure. But if God has been promise the best for us, we supposed to do not worry and fully trust that God will fulfill His promises. In the time of waiting we actually could experience the process of establishing ourselves in order to become a stronger person, more resilient, more mature and in the difficult time we can train ourselves to learn to rely on and fully trust to God.
My dear friends, what about us now? Whether we are waiting for something? Are we waiting for God’s healing our illness? Whether we are in a tussle of our unsolved problems and waiting for God’s help? Or we have been praying for many years to win the soul of our friend but there is no sign of the answer to our prayer? Whether we already have a great patience whatever we waiting for? Or otherwise, we are impatient waiting for God’s answer and help, and trying to look the alternative way that seemingly could help us quickly as I cannot wait to see my rose blooming and trying to unfold the rose with my own hand? My beloved readers, this time allow me to encourage all of us to once again remember these:
God’s plan is always good and beautiful for us. As it said in Jeremiah 29:11:
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
What will be happen in our lives is already in God’s plan list. We could make any plan but if it is not accordance to His plan, then our plan will would not work . And if so, it is not because our plan is not good but as we all know that,
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, “declares the Lord.
(Isaiah 55:8)
God has another better plan for us and as I have mentioned before, God’s plan is always good and beautiful more than our plan.
Remain be patient. Sometimes the desires of our heart need time. They do not happen overnight. Please do not treat God such as a vending machine when once we insert the coin, choose what we want, and then we can get what we want very soon. For how long we should be patient in waiting? 25 years like abraham was waiting for his child? More than 40 years like the Israelistes entering the promised land? More than 2 years like I was praying for my husband accept God as his personal savior? Same with my husband answer, we even do not know for how long. The timing of God’s answer is a mystery. Only God knows when the time our prayer would be answered. We do not have the ability to unveil the secrets of the Divine like the secret of unfolding my rose flowers. God’s timetable is not our timetable but He promises that everything will be beautiful in His time.
Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. (Hebrews 10:36)
Keep trust to God. We have to trust that God will answer all of our requests, and we will not be waiting n vain. We have to trust that God is almighty who can do things seemingly impossible for us but all things are possible before God.
“With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverb 3:5-6)
We have to trust in God for His leading and guidance in every of our step. As the rose flower, when the time comes, He will unfold the rose. And it will be holds true with our life, when the time comes He will fulfill His promises , will answer every of our prayers, and finally our long waiting and patience will be not in vain. Amen.
He Unfold the Rose
It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of God’s design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.
The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
GOD opens this flower so sweetly,
When in my hands they fade and die.
If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of God’s design,
Then how can I think I have wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?
So I’ll trust in Him for His leading
each moment of every day.
I will look to him for His guidance
each step of the pilgrim way.
The pathway that lies before me,
Only my Heavenly Father knows.
I’ll trust Him to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose.
Poem author: Colleen Douglas
Karina – Living by faith
Photo by http://photopaulm.com
Wonderful poem and excellent post. The unfolding of the rose is a great anaology to the life we live. Thank you Karina
Dear brother in Christ, ben..
Thank you very much for your lovely comment 🙂 Blessings and have a great weekend.
This is something I am trying to keep in mind everyday. I have been searching and waiting for a full time job for a long time now. I am wondering when God will open the right door for me and trying to be patient till then. You wrote a beautiful poem. Thank you for sharing.
Dear brother in Christ, Tom
I will personally help you in prayer. May God open the doors of job opportunity for you. I do believe our loving God, in his perfect time will give what we need 🙂 Thank you for reading and commenting. Many blessings to you.
This is beautiful, thanks for sharing.
Hello dear Sister in Christ,
You are much welcome 🙂 Thank you for reading. Many love and blessings to you.
Karina, this was a beautiful post. I will never forget the image of the rose; we cannot rush it and if we try we will destroy it, it must unfold according to God’s timing. The poem at the end was just wonderful!!! Thank you!!!!
Hello dear,
you are much welcome 🙂 Thank you for the great comment. Have a nice weekend 🙂 Blessings.
What a beautiful post, Karina! Describing the unfolded rose is such a striking example, and one that we can all learn from 🙂
Hello my dear friend,
Thank you very much for the excellent comment and also thank you for re blogging my posts. It was a great honor to me. Have a wonderful weekend 🙂 Blessings.
Reblogged this on Aletheia_Word and commented:
This is a beautiful post about being patient and waiting on the Lord’s time. It’s written by a wonderful, godly woman who has such great insight 🙂
Beautiful example of God’s timing, Katrina. If we try to rush things, we just mess them up. But when we wait for God, oh what beauty!
Dear sister Sheila,
Thank you so much for your great comment 🙂 Thank you for reading. Have a blessed weekend to you.
This was such a gentle affirmation from the Lord…. so fitting for the season I’m in. Thank you, Karina! And thanks for the sweet note you wrote me, and for following my blog. Hope your day with your little son is richly filled with the Light of Jesus’ dear face!
Dear Haley
Thank you so much for taking time reading my post and also thank you for the lovely comment:) Have a great weekend in the Lord to you..
Truly beautiful, have a blessed and happy thanksgiving.
Dear Pastor Davis,
Thank you very much, Pastor. Have a wonderful and blessed weekend. Happy Thanksgiving.
Hi Karina!
This is such a powerful post……so inspired by God’s wisdom! I have been meditating on your post for most of my day today. I didn’t want to rush my response because there was so much to digest. The analogy of the Rose bud will never leave me. I have no words to describe how that analogy ministered to me. Bless you for having a wise husband! You two are a powerful team!
I see how important it is to be patient. After reading this post I want to wait on His timing instead of forcing things. Trying to do things in my time is foolishness and I see very clearly how I should wait on His time because in His time things are made beautiful! Only in His time. In my time things are messed up.
I like when you said, “Sometimes the desires of our heart need time”! So true Karina…….
Your poem was so beautiful. Thank you for sharing this Karina! I have been deeply ministered to by your post…..!
God bless you, your husband and son!! Have a great weekend! 😃
Rolain
Dear brother Rolain,
You are much welcome 🙂 Thank you for the such great comment. You comment in the second paragraph become my reminder and reflection too. Thank you so much for your compliment about my husband 🙂 have a wonderful and blessed weekend to you too, brother.
Beautiful encouragement! Thank you—and enjoy your baby boy! 🙂
My dear,
You are welcome. I thank you for your lovely comment:) Many blessings to you.
Oh! What a beautiful, wonderful post!! Your first paragraph expresses such a tender moment filled with wisdom and love, and your poem is perfect. What a great reminder and encouragement!
Dear Sis Rene,
Thank you very much for the lovely and great comment. Many blessings to you. Have a wonderful sunday 🙂
Karina, thanks for posting this. I had my husband read it too. It is so beautiful! Your poem, and using the analogy of the rose bud in regards to God’s timing is very thought-provoking! Thank you.
Dear sis Dawn,
You are much welcome. Thanj you for reading and a lovely comment 🙂 Blessings to you and have a great weekend.
Kindred spirit, bless you! You are not only planting roses in your garden but here on your blog.
I realize that life is not all roses
at times just a scent of a rose
other times a full blossom of roses
the day comes when the roses begin to wilt die and fall away
there is a gloom in a wilted rose a lost hope i suppose
life to me is about a rose
I found the most beautiful rose one day
this rose continues to blossom in my life
never wilting never dying
full of life and blossoms ever so bright
what I found in this rose is when the scent is right
and it is in full blossom to cultivate the soil
planting more roses clipping the old and wilted away
that there is a continual scent of roses and a fullness of blossoms
so in this one rose I have planted many
and will continue all my days until life is full of roses
God bless!
Hello there,
First of all I thank you you read my post 🙂 it was such a great honor to me. Also, thank you for… well, I not call it as a comment but I love call it a reflection. I have learned a new philosophy of live.. you mentioned that “life is about a rose” Wow, it will be my personal contemplation about life.
Thank you very much for this excellent reflection 🙂 May God bless you abundantly with full of eternal roses 🙂 have a wonderful weekend to you.
Look up the rose of sharon in song of solomon. It was there where you could find a perfect rose. God referes himself to this rose. It is a picture of the promise land, garden of Eden!
Contimplate on this
A rose came from the dead
He rose from the dead
He unfolded his life for ours
Karina, beautiful words as always. You are such an encourager to others and always help us refocus on our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Hope you have a blessed day!
Dear sister Shelly,
Thank you very much, sis. Your every comments are always encourage me too. Many love and blessings to you.
I enjoyed every bit of this. Such a truth. I definitely need to be still right now, and wait on what He is trying to teach me. This was very very encouraging. Thanks for the post!
Dear Taylor,
Thank you very much for the lovely comment. I enjoyed your awesome posts too. Blessings to you.
It is True as you shared in your Poem Karina, we are not to Trust in worldly, meaning fleshy wisdom, we are to ask for God’s and His empowering by The Spirit.
How wonderful don’t you think Karina that Roses have thorns to protect them from those who would seek to damage them, when we are in Christ Jesus we are also protected by the Crown of Thorns, Satan cannot hurt us, No temptation will be greater than we can bear.
1 John 5:18 We know that whosoever is Born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not.(KJV)
We may never know Karina how God created the Universe or even a Rose but we can know His heart of Love for us, His goodness and His good plans for us, as we see confirmed in the Scriptures below.
1 Corinthians 2:9-16 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that Love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with Spiritual.
Pentecost has now come, yes He has made beauty in the heart of man blossom, we are not in darkness, unlike the Old Testament Saints who had the promise, we have the reality, they were covered in the blood of Christ we were washed in it, the Rose had not blossomed, it has now, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit when we are Born Again (1John3:9) we have God’s seed or Nature and having asked we now have His wisdom not our own.
James 117 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Psalm 107: 8 – 9 Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
Christian Love in Christ Jesus – Anne.
Dear sis Anne,
Thank you very much for this such a great short further emphasis. It will be my other lesson. Also thank you for the bible verses 🙂 have a great evening to you. Blessings.
A beautiful, powerful and inspiring post, Karina. Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂
Hello there,
You are much welcome 🙂 thank you for reading my post. Blessings.
Oftentimes waiting becomes harder than our problems. Increasingly we impatient in waiting, then our problem feels harder, and then we feel more difficult to waiting, like that again and again, like a circle. Only in God we get new strength to waiting for its time.
Thank you for great reminder, Jesus bless you
Not just in God we have new strength but also we have to trust in God that everything will beautiful in its tine. Thank you for insightful comment,sis.
Karina, I love the way you write – there is such wisdom in your words, always delivered in a sweet and loving way. As others have mentioned here, the analogy of the rose will stay with me during those times I forget to wait upon Him – his timing, his provision, his plan. Thank you, and a wonderful Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Dear sis Susan,
I would like to say so sorry I have missed your comment on my post. Doesn’t mean I am not pay attention to your comment. I really have missed it. Thank you very much for you lovely and encouraging comment, sis. I really appreciate it and once again I am so sorry. Blessings to you.
Blessings to you, too, Karina. No worries. Love to you and family. ❤
You should be careful to what you put your name on. You did nit write this poem. I wrote it. I have all the original writings when I wrote this and put it together. It was written when I was going through many problems in my life. It is the only poem I had published. Just because you changed the name does not make it a different poem. Original name “Let it unfold”
Dear, Colleen Douglas
First of all, thank you very much for your comment on my old post. I really appreciate it. Well, please allow me to give explanation about the poem. I found this poem for the first time in 2013, the title is “He Unfold the Rose” then I decided to post this beautiful poem to my blog on August 23, 2013. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the author of the poem. I just found “Unknown” But at the time I still tried hard to find out who is the author through the internet but, once again, unfortunately I didn’t find name of the author. One years later, on November 22, 2014 I wrote a post based on that poem and I also put the poem into the poem. I put my name into the post because the post written by myself but not the poem. So, I’m seriously haven’t intention build assume to my readers that poem was written by me.
Today, thank you to God, finally I found the author of the poem and I surely put your name into my post. I apologize for this misunderstanding. Thank you very much for your critics. God Bless
Best Regards,
Karina Lam
Very good, very good stuff,
only words.
but s o m e words in the right place, become words with wings.
Awesome unfolding of truth.
loved the inspiration.
Hello there,
Thank very much:) Blessings.
Awesome insights, analogy and poem, Karina. Blessings.
Dear brother mel
Than you very much for the lovely comment 🙂 Blessings.
Truly beautiful message my friend, may we all learn to grow and unfold from the inside like this beautiful rose. Thank you for your faithfulness to the Kingdom of God. I love you, I appreciate you, and wish you many blessings doing this long holiday season. May you and your family live in peace as you enjoy the abundance of all that the Lord has set forth for you this day.
Dear Pastor,
Amen! Thank you very much for your prayer to me and my family. I also pray for your ministry in the church. May God continually use and bless you to minister many people around the world through your great blog ministry. Happy Thanksgiving and many blessings:)
Reblogged this on Sweet Rains and commented:
A beautiful, heartwarming post revealing that some things take time and cannot be forced.
Karina, is active or passive patience the best?
Dear Tienny
First of all, I thank you for visiting, reading, following, and liking my post. Also thank you for the question. I do not intend to get smart. I try to answer your question and I sorry it might be a bit long. I likened the life of is a train which has specific purpose and destination and patience is a conductor. When our train gets running too fast down the track, if we are getting fear and becoming dangerous, someone will tell the conductor, “Be patient!” Patience then applies the brakes to our train. Passive patience will totally stop our train. Sit, wait, and do nothing. Active patience is slows the train down to prevent it from jumping the tracks or getting out of control. But the train never stops. It keeps right on going, though at a slower pace.
I want to be a visual art artist. Passive patience says, Look back at you! You work as an accounting officer. Just focus on it. You are not even ready to take another work field. Do not screw up your life with this ambition. Active patience will say, become an artist is a great opportunity, but you have to maintain your skill and learn about visual art. Develop you ability, get ready until the chance come.
Active Patience is so much more than merely “waiting” for something. With Active Patience we continue striving toward our goal with anticipation of what’s to come, but without fear. Active patience slogan is: KEEP CALM and CARRY ON
Dear Tienny, this is just my thought. Please feel free if you found something wrong, I love if you let me know 🙂 Thank you and blessings.
Karina, thanks a lot for your great explanation. 🙂 Glad to know that active waiting helps me to keep going by improving my skills. Why don’t you begin by practicing your visual arts first? 🙂 Thank you and blessings too.
Dear Tienny,
You are much welcome. But there is misunderstanding, what I explained is only examples. I am not talented to become a visual art artist. I mentioned it as an example and comparison between passive and active patience 🙂 thank you for your great response. Blessings and have a wonderful Thanksgiving day 🙂
No worries. Thanks for clarifying and sorry for the misunderstanding. 🙂 Blessings and also wish you to have a wonderful thanksgiving day 🙂
Lovely Karina!
Hello dear,
Thank you very much.
Karina this is really good, I am always a bit impatient and I loved your analogy of unfolding the Rose with our own hands. I will always remember this lesson when I feel tempted to rush things before it is time. Your post was just perfect and beautiful 🙂
Dear Sis T,
Thank you very much for the lovely comment 🙂 not just you, sis..I also often being impatient as I was cannot wait my rose blooming. Let we always remember that everything things this world need time and God gives His perfect time. Many blessings to you, sis 🙂
Fantastic post. All the verses I needed for the day. Thank you.
Hello there,
You are welcome 🙂 Thank you very much for reading. Blessings.
Such a beautiful illustration…I’m going to remember this one!
Dear brother in Christ, John.
Amen! Me too 🙂 Thank you for your lovely comment. Blessings.
Wise words and a beautiful post Karina. 🙂
Thank yoi very much, my dear sis Lilka. Many blessings to you 🙂
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Thank you for your inspiring and thoughtful post on waiting on God. I have been praying and waiting for five years now for the fulfillment of Hods promise to me in a specific life situation. I know that everything you wrote is true.
I also thought of the analogy of the rise and how that relates to me specifically. God gave me the name ‘Desert Rose In Bloom’ through a friend of mine. Sometimes I am impatient with the seeming slow progress of my own blooming. This reminds me that God is the one that brings life and changes in His time, even when it comes with creating me as a person.
Dear my friend in Christ, Emily. ..
Not only you, honestly I oftentimes struggling with impatient and begin to judging God that He do nothing. I wrote this post as reminder not just for others, but indeed for me also. Thank you very much for your lovely comment on my post 🙂 have a blessed day to you, Emily.
You have a blessed day too sweet lady!
Beautiful post! What wonderful words of wisdom.
Hello dear,
Thank you very much for reading. Have a blessed day to you 🙂
Karina, beautiful message! God bless!
Dear brother Wendell,
Thank you very much 🙂 God bless you too.
Lovely poem!
Thank you very much 🙂 Blessings to you.
Thank you Sis for a beautiful reminder about letting life develop in our Heavenly father’s perfect timing.
Hello sis,
You are welcome 🙂 thank you for the great comment 🙂 Blessings to you and have a wonderful holiday season.
Just lovely, Karina!
Thank you, Sis Anna 🙂 Blessings.
A beautiful lesson, Karina. ❤
Thank you, sister Anna 🙂 Have a blessed Sunday.
I return to this post again and again, Karina. ❤
Dear, sister Anna
Thank you very much for always come back to my posts. It was a great honor to me. God Bless and have a nice week.
Every species of flower develops on a different schedule. Roses differ from lilies; chrysanthemums differ from hollyhocks. Even within a species, individual flowers each unfold at their own particular pace. Often, we want to rush things — as if the future were sure to be “better” than the present. But God knows the pace that is right for our lives. ❤
Dear, sister Anna
Thank you very much for your very wonderful words. Yes God knows the pace that’s right our lives as He said He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Thank you,sist. Have a blessed day
May we, too, trust in the pilgrim way. Love, A. ❤
Thank you, Sister Anna. Have a wonderful day in God. God Bless