Pulling into the driveway, I glance at the flower bed and marvel at the twelve salmon-colored roses blooming despite the cold nights. The echinacea and zinnias long-since fallen, alone gracing the garden, the roses humbly offer a brightness that gladdens my day.

At the same time, the crew from the tree service has arrived, preparing to cut down the dying persimmon that has long favored the yard with shade. We’ll miss the shade, but it’s a relief to no longer worry about a strong wind crashing the tree into our home. Plus, there’s the consolation of the extra firewood it avails. So, as we enter standard time, we prepare the yard for the winter months coming upon us.

Harder though is preparing ourselves to see light in the dark days ahead. Winter is often depicted as a time of troubled souls, when dejection, gloominess and lost hope set in. Caught in this trap of depression, we feel unheard, rejected and, worst of all, unworthy of love. It’s hard to shake off these feelings, all of which are lies satan uses to shut us away from the light of truth.

The truth that Christ promises us we are his, sent by his loving Father to care for and shepherd us to an eternal life of love of joy. “And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day” (Jn 6:39).

Note that God, our Father, specifically gave us to Christ’s care. Christ, sent as our shepherd to guide us through the darkness that descends when the trials of the world seem too much to bear. Christ the Lord, sent to show us the path out of sin. Christ, our brother who firmly holds us in his arms and models how to love.

Christ, who shows us how to BLOOM like a rose: Be Loving Of Others Moreover. Loving others, the pinnacle that makes us whole.

The writings of the apostle Mark clarify Jesus’ teaching on love. Responding to a scribe in the temple asking him what the greatest commandment is, Jesus replies, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mk 12:30-31).

Be Loving Of Others Moreover. With hearts open to Christ, our shepherd, Lord and brother, we boldly cast out the self-centeredness that entraps us. We joyfully accept being the beloved children of God (Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen,1992) and lovingly serve our neighbors.

And so I pray: Dear Lord, open my mind to accept that I am yours. Guide me from the darkness of sin into the light of loving. Keep me straight on the path to the eternal life of joy with you. Give me the courage to bloom.

Dear Reader: Thank you for reading Continuing the Spiritual Journey column. Please share it with your family and friends and invite them to email me at ejanerutter@gmail.com to receive it every week. Blessings!

(c) 2025 E. Jane Rutter