The Story of the Mow Cop Rose
On Easter Saturday of 2022 I took an early morning stroll up to the top of Mow Cop, a high point that straddles the East Cheshire county line with Staffordshire, between my home town Congleton and the City of Stoke-on-Trent. I went up to reflect and pray but was saddened to see the desecration of a Palm Sunday floral tribute. There were signs that it had been fastened to the security railings, but now torn down and strewn everywhere. I looked to my right and spotted a miniature rose in a small tub that was most likely the centre piece of the tribute, it had been hurled against a rock and badly damaged, and there were signs of frost on it due to the cold mornings we were experiencing that week and looked like it would not survive.
Somehow, a deep spiritual insight came to me concerning the rejection of Christ amongst men. He was mocked, scorned and rejected and this Rose was symbolic of the fact that Christ went to the cross to save us sinners, and yet today, still our dear Lord is mocked and despised. I felt a pain that surged in my heart and I was compelled to pick up this damaged rose, so I took it back home to try and nurture it back to life.
I cared for this rose daily and kept it inside for three days, there was no sign of life and then a fresh green leaf budded out from the stem, and soon after, a new rose bud! After around 10 days this beautiful plant was in full bloom and looking very healthy. The weather outside was improving and much warmer so I re-potted it and placed it outside in the garden. We had many warm days but also much rain. That's fine I thought, and I didn't even think to check on the rose for days, the warmth and rain would only nourish it further, and I took it for granted that it was doing well.
Then, on the one day I decided to check on it, horror! A totally withered, brown and very dead rose plant is what I found. Devastated, I turned to the Lord in prayer and asked for forgiveness in neglecting this plant. Now I know it was only a small minature rose but it represented so much more. The Lord answered my prayer and told me that the rose, as well as representing His blood also represented His church here on earth. There was a warning, that we must not neglect Christ and we should stand with Christians everywhere, encouraging and nurturing each other in the word of God constantly. Neglect will see the demise of the church and yes, here in the UK we have seen this happening over the last few years but not to the point where all is lost. I thank our Lord that there are green shoots still out there, and that Easter is about New life, being resurrected in Christ.
This is a personal story, and one that continues year after year. Every Easter time I make a visit to the top of that rugged hill at Mow Cop, I bring with me my offering of prayers and a small rose and cross in a pot that I leave at the foot of the very rock where I first spotted that discarded rose back in 2022. The picture at the top is of the Cross and rose I prepared for today. The cross, is the palm cross that was given to me on Palm Sunday at Hope Church in Congleton, Thank you to my church family for your contribution to this story, and most of all Thank You Jesus for the sacrifice you made for us on the cross at calvary, that we might be saved and have eternal life with you.
Related:
Here's my blog from Easter Saturday 2022 with pictures and a little background information about Mow Cop. No mention of the rose was made in this blog at the time, but this is when I first had that touching spiritual experience.
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