Fwd: The Blessing of Thorns

[Guest guest]

A good friend sent me this today, i was glad she did. it touched my heart. i

hope it touches your's as well.

Love Cill.....

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>Subject: Fwd: The Blessing of Thorns

>Date: Mon, 09 Dec 2002 20:31:36 -0500

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>This one really makes you think...........if I've sent this before, pardon

>the repeat, but enjoy it again.

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>>Reply-To: womh@...

>>To: " friends@theircomputer " <friends@theircomputer>

>>Subject: The Blessing of Thorns

>>Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2002 19:25:31 -0600

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This really made me stop and give thanks for the thorns that have come in My life. I hope it touches your heart as it did mine.

The Blessings of Thorns felt as low as the heels of her shoes as she pushed against aNovember gust and the florist shop door.Her life had been easy, like a spring breeze. Then in the fourth month ofher second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole that from her.During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grievedover her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threateneda transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called sayingshe could not come for the holiday.Then 's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-givenpath to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer.She has no idea what I'm feeling, thought with a shudder.Thanksgiving? Thankful for what? She wondered. For a careless driver whosetruck was hardly scratched when he hit her? For an airbag that saved herlife but took that of her child?"Good afternoon, can I help you?" The shop clerk's approach startled her."I....I need an arrangement," stammered ."For Thanksgiving? Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like tochallenge the day with a customer favorite I call the Thanksgiving"Special?" asked the shop clerk. "I'm convinced that flowers tell stories,"she continued. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' thisThanksgiving?""Not exactly!" blurted out. "In the last five months, everythingthat could go wrong has gone wrong." regretted her outburst, and wassurprised when the shop clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement foryou."Just then the shop door's small bell rang, and the shop clerk said, "Hi,Barbara...let me get your order." She politely excused herself and walkedtoward a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangementof greenery, bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses. Except the ends of therose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers."Want this in a box?" asked the clerk. watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would wantrose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither womanlaughed."Yes, please," Barbara, replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd thinkafter three years of getting the 'special', I wouldn't be so moved by itssignificance, but I can feel it right here, all over again," she said asshe gently tapped her chest. And she left with her order."Uh," stammered , "that lady just left with, uh....she just left withno flowers!""Right, said the clerk, "I cut off the flowers. That's the 'Special'. Icall it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet.""Oh, come on, you can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that!"exclaimed . "Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling muchlike you feel today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very littleto be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family businesswas failing, her son was into drugs, and she was facing major surgery.""That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk, "and for thefirst time in my life, had just spent the holidays alone. I had nochildren, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow anytravel.""So what did you do?" asked ."I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly."I've always thanked God for the good things in my life and neverquestioned the good things that happened to me, but when bad stuff hit, didI ever ask questions! It took time for me to learn that dark times areimportant. I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of life, but it took thornsto show me the beauty of God's comfort. You know, the Bible saysthat God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation welearn to comfort others." sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing her friendhad tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I'velost a baby and I'm angry with God."Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey, Phil!" shouted the clerkto the balding, rotund man."My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving Special....12 thorny,long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue-wrappedarrangement from the refrigerator."Those are for your wife?" asked incredulously. "Do you mind measking why she wants something that looks like that?""No...I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago my wife and Inearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with theLord's grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem. Herescued our marriage. here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase ofrose stems to remind her of what she learned from "thorny" times, andthat was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and Idecided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for whatthat problem taught us."As Phil paid the clerk, he said to , "I highly recommend theSpecial!""I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." said."It's all too...fresh.""Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me thatthorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care moreduring trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thornsthat Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns."Tears rolled down 's cheeks. For the first time since the accident,she loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmedthorns, please," she managed to choke out."I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in aminute.""Thank you. What do I owe you?""Nothing. Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The firstyear's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you wouldlike to read it first."It read: "My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thankedYou a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach methe glory of the difficulties I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Showme that I have drawn closer to You along the path of pain. Show methat,through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much morebrilliant."Praise Him for your roses; thank him for your thorns!-- Author Unknown

[Guest guest]

Thank-you for sharing.

It made me cry and think and it ,its true.

love