Roses and thorns

I'm currently reading the book, "Crossroads" by Wm. Paul Young. He also wrote the book called "The Shack", another one I strongly recommend if you have never read it. I've been waiting til I'm done with the books before I write about them. However, as I was reading "Crossroads" tonight, a couple sentences stuck out for me, and so I just wanted to share it with you now. :) The characters are talking about knocking walls down, walls that we build up in our heart and mind to protect ourselves. Walls can substitute for trust. Trust of others, trust of God. But these walls, we can also knock them down. But just like the walls are built up over time, it takes time and process for them to come down. If we hurry in taking them down, we can cause them to fall on those we love.

"Freedom (removing the walls in our heart) can become a new justification for disregard and a lack of compassion for the bandages of others. Roses have thorns.... 'Why do roses have thorns?' 'So that you handle them carefully and gently.'"

I loved those last two sentences. Roses have thorns so we handle them carefully. Roses could represent the people in our lives, our family, our friends, our coworkers, strangers we meet. They are the ones we love. We need to "handle" them carefully. We need to be kind to them, respect them, treat them with love. The thorns aren't there to be ugly, they are there to help us show compassion, show gentleness, show love, share grace! The thorns could represent everyone's hardships, disappointments, sorrows. And we as friends, as disciples of Jesus, need to treat those roses with gentleness so the beauty of every person spreads, that the roses grow, not the thorns! I just never thought of roses and thorns like that before. Could kinda be like the water of grace again. It's just with us everyday, isn't it! :) thanks for reading!