The Rose of Sharon

A few days ago I was listening to a podcast from Bethel. Bill Johnson was talking about having the presence of God on you and so much power that when you walk by people they are healed because your shadow falls on them.  Just like Paul in the Bible.  He said, "Your shadow will release whatever overshadows you."  This struck me so I wrote it down and it has been on my mirror all week.  It made me think about what overshadows me. What Am I immersed in? What am I putting myself under. Because that is what I am sharing with every person that I come into contact with.

Tonight I went t the first session of the Passion Conference at Life Church St Charles and saw Brian Simmons.  I have heard him speak before on the Song of Songs, which is what he was talking about tonight. He did say something that grabbed me by the heart and made my soul sit up. In the beginning of Chapter 2 the Shulamite says, I am the Rose of Sharon. Brian explained that the word used here for Rose has another meaning and that is, to be overshadowed! WOW! Then He said that Sharon meant, The Theme of His Song. So Basically, I am the theme of His song and He is singing over me, overshadowing me. Oh to hear this song! To hear His voice singing over me! 

On the way home I was thinking about the Rose.  It's funny cause, as my husband can attest to, I do not like roses.  Don't get me wrong, they are beautiful and smell amazing. But in my experience, more often than not, tragedy always strikes.  The Rose begins beautifully as its bud begins to open and you get the faintest whiff of their soft fragrance.  Then, the stem begins to bend, just below said bud, and the Rose bows its head. The flower does not bloom. So sad.

People's hearts are like that.  We stand so tall and beautiful, gazing up at the Son and we begin to bloom and mature, opening up and offering our fragrance in worship. Then, for one reason or another, our heads become bowed. We bend to the artificial light and fake love around us. We become bowed down under the winds of change, stress, tension, business, circumstances. We see nothing but the ground. And we lose our bloom. We stop opening up to the sun. Our fragrance becomes foul.

So tragic.

But when we lift up our heads and see Him overshadowing us, we open to Him. 

This is Life. 

This is maturity. 

May my head be always lifted back to return His gaze, to hear His song over me, to bloom.