A Brooklyn Rose

For some reason unknown to me there are a lot of rose bushes in my area of Brooklyn. The roses are in full bloom now and will continue throughout the summer months. The rose has a way of making us think about God. There are two kinds of people in Brooklyn. Those who love to look at and smell roses and those who ignore or reject roses unless used to allure a pretty girl. In the latter category are people who completely block themselves from any perception of the rose. This group can have roses surrounding them but never notice.

Two weeks ago I noticed that the roses were getting ready to bloom. Last week two of the roses sprang forth. One was on the Chinese ladies bush. She told me that this bush was a Queen Ann Bush. The roses bloom one to a stem. For some reason the single rose has a stronger scent. The second rose was on the Italian Lady’s bush. Both roses have full rich scents but each smells different. When approaching the rose you are drawn in by the beautiful color and the design of the petals. It is amazing when you put your nose to the rose and let its fragrance surround your senses. Interestingly, when you move back from the rose, the memory of the scent fades quickly although the pleasure remains.

For me, this imagery is much like our relationship to God. When we are close to God, we become intoxicated with his amazing fragrance. When we move away, we quickly forget the fragrance and pleasure. In Corinthians we learn that the fragrance of Christ is directly related to the church serving one another.

For those who walk past the rose without notice, they have lost an opportunity to connect with their creator. There is no reason except our sinful nature that allows us pass by unaffected by such a precious gift.

At the Grill House, workers have been busy cleaning the entire building for the up-coming season. There is always a lot of work after the winter months. The intense winter winds blow sand and dirt throughout most of the building. Steve, the owner of the Grill House was very excited, adding new flags and signage to his store. Because of the Coney Island renewal, this may be his last year there.

Several weeks ago I noticed that Steve’s coloring did not look to good. Not wanting to alarm him, I said nothing. A few days later, he came to me and asked if I could test his sugar level. I did and it was a little high. Two weekends ago he told me that he felt really weak. I told him to get to the doctors immediately and gave him the name of a doctor in his neighborhood. The following Monday he went and the doctor said he was very anemic. The next day he went back for test results. The doctor said that his blood level was extremely low and that he needed to get a transfusion immediately or risk a fatal heart attack. So the next day he went to Lutheran Hospital in Sunset Park. He arrived at 7am. At 4pm he finally received his first unit of blood. The second unit was given to him at 3am the next day. All this time he was in the emergency room with sick people surrounding him. Finally at 5am they ran the final test for his blood count. At that point he was so mad and tired that he left the hospital. He has felt ok but not great. Yesterday I talked with Steve and a doctor friend of his said his symptoms pointed to Leukemia. So tomorrow he will go back to his doctor for further tests. This news has a profound affect on the regular patrons of the Grill House. Everyone gives advice, some good and some on the outer limits of ridiculous. Beyond the advice, life’s complexities become very real. There have been several significant deaths out in Coney Island in the last year. Gary’s death (mentioned in an earlier post) still is a frequent topic. That Steve might be seriously ill grinds into the hearts of many. We are all wondering how we will get through this.

God has placed into our world symbols of his Love and Mercy? Seeing and smelling the rose constantly reminds me, amidst the trials of this world, that God is very present and real. He is there to stand with us during difficult times, to lead us to His promised land.

Many Blessings,
Barre