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Parable Of The Rose
A certain man planted a rose and watered it
faithfully. Before it blossomed, he examined it. He saw
a bud, that would soon blossom. He also saw 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,
growing amidst the thorns of our faults. Many of us look
at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects. We
despair, thinking 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 don't see the rose within themselves. It takes
someone else 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 the
truest, most innocent, and gracious characteristic of
love.... to know another person, including their faults,
recognize the nobility in their soul, and yet still help
another to realize they can overcome their faults. If we
show them the rose, they will conquer the thorns. Only
then, will they blossom, and most likely, blooming
thirty, sixty, a hundred-fold, as it's given to them.
Our duty in this world, is to help others, by showing
them 'their roses' and not "their thorns." It is then,
that we achieve the love, we should feel for each other;
only then, can we bloom in our 'own garden.'
~Author Unknown~ |
