The Rose Bud

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully.Before it
blossomed, he examined it. He saw the bud that would soon blossom and
also the thorns.

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.

We despair, thinking that nothing good can
possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us. We never
realize our potential.

Some people do not see the rose within
themselves; someone else must 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 characteristic of love, to look at a person, and knowing their faults, recognize the nobility in their soul.

If we show them the rose, they will conquer the thorns.