A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully, and before it blossomed, he examined it. He saw the bud that would soon blossom and also the thorns. And he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?" Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and before it was ready to bloom, it died.
So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God-like qualities planted in us at birth grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects. We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.
Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else may need to show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns and find the rose within others. This is characteristic of love, to look at a person, and knowing his faults recognize the nobility in his soul, and help him realize that he can overcome his faults. If we show him the rose, he will conquer the thorns. Then he will blossom, blooming thirty, sixty, and a hundred-fold as it is given to him.
Our duty in the world is to help others by showing them their roses not their thorns. Only then can we achieve the love we should feel for each other; only then can we bloom in our own garden.
Author: Unknown
For a little bit of thoughtfulness,
That shows someone you care,
Creates a ray of sunshine,
For both of you to share.
Yes, everytime you offer,
Someone a helping hand.
Everytime you show someone,
You care and understand.
Everytime you have,
A kind and gentle word to give.
You help someone find beauty,
In this precious life we live.
For happiness brings happiness,
And loving ways bring love,
And giving is the treasure,
That contentment is made of.
Author: Amanda Bradley
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