By Kevin McCoy

One evening the Lord planted a seed in the heart of a young girl. This seed was THE DREAM. With THE DREAM, the girl formed a covenant with the Lord for He asked, "If you love me will you tend my sheep?" The girl did agree and the seed took root in her heart for it was nourished by the Holy Spirit. And the Lord was pleased, then He said, "Behold, I give you a garden in which to grow. You shall watch over the birds and animals and things that creepeth which come to my garden. If they hunger, give them food, if they thirst, give them drink, if they are injured, tend their wounds, and to all, you shall bestow upon them My love for they, like yourself, are my creation." And the seed did grow and the young girl became the Lord's rose.

One day the Lord came to look upon the rose and he was pleased for the rose had taken in all the creatures the Lord sent to the garden. She had given them food, drink, healing, and above all, the love of their creator which He told her to bestow upon them. The Lord then transplanted the rose to a new garden with room to grow with no boundaries. And the Lord said to the rose, "My will shall be your dream and you shall follow your dream for it shall make your branches grow in many directions and you shall plant seeds of light in the hearts of many and I shall make them bloom for I am with you."

And so the dream did point the rose in many directions and the rose followed the dream. She pointed in the directions of THE DREAM provided and reached out. One branch reached into nursing homes planting seeds in the aged, forgotten hearts it touched. Another branch reached into schools, sowing seeds in the young, curious, hearts there. Yet another reached through the razor wire fences of prison, it's thorns piercing the hardened hearts of the outcast and planting seeds in many. Other branches reached out to embrace the handicapped, the hurting, and the young in need of refuge in times of crisis. And all the while, the birds, animals, and things that creepeth kept coming to the garden. In all touched by the rose, a seed was planted. A seed destined to grow, mature, and bloom, for it was planted by the Grace of God and nourished by the Holy Spirit.

Again, the Lord came upon the rose in the dream. He showed the rose visions of better ways to care for his creatures. He showed her an infant care facility for the terminally ill. Other visions came to her of handicapped children with happy faces riding horses, shelter for the aged, the homeless, and outcast. And all around them were the birds, animals, and things that creepeth. And even though weeds sometimes sprouted in the garden. All was well, for the Holy Spirit dwelled among them all.

In heaven there is the book and in this book the petal of a rose - the symbol of a covenant between a young girl and her Lord. The result of this covenant was THE GARDEN - THE REFUGE - THE ARK. And the covenant was simple, "If you love me, tend my sheep." And in the Lamb's Book of Life, beside the petal of the rose is a name, this name is Jama.