Solid Foundation

"[T]hen make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind"- Philippians 2:2 (NIV).

I was gifted with a vining rose bush that has become the behemoth of rose bushes. It's a beast. My husband just sent a picture of two early blossoms appearing this morning. That's just a promise of the beauty yet to come. Those two blossoms get some special notice, but the main show is when they all bloom at the same time. The unity is breathtaking. We left up a section of fencing so the vine has a solid foundation to train down. It takes a little coxing to make it stay on the fence at times, a stray vine wandering here and there, but it's a labor of love. You just have to be forgiving of those beastly thorns. Like the mass bloom of rose blossoms, the unity of believers is beautiful: 'being one in spirit and of one mind'. There's love in unity, joy in unity, peace in unity, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in unity. All nine fruits of the spirit bloom from unity. There will always be a stray vine here and there, but we weave that stray back in and forgive any pain the thorns may have caused, plus unity attracts others to take root, or be grafted in, making our joy even more complete. Like the unity of my blooming rose, unity of believers, in spirit and mind, is built upon a solid foundation. A fence for the behemoth; a Solid Rock for believers.