"PARABLE OF THE ROSE"

A certain man planted a rose & watered it faithfully,

& before it blossomed, he examined it. He saw the bud

that would soon blossom also have thorns with it. &

he thought, *How can any beautiful flower come from

a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?*

He felt very sad by this thought, & he neglected to water

the rose, & before it was ready to bloom, it died……......

So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose.

All these qualities planted in us at birth growing

amid the thorns of our faults.

Many of us look at ourselves & see only the thorns,

[the defects].

We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly

come from us.

We neglect to water the good deeds within us,

& eventually it dies.

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 to a person can possess

is to be able to reach past the thorns

& find the rose within others...... ..

This is the characteristic of love,

To look at a person, & knowing his faults,

Recognize the nobility in his soul, & help him

to realize that he can overcome his faults...... .

If we show him the rose, he will conquer the thorns.

Then it will blossom hundred- folds as it is given to him.

‘’ Our duty in this world is to help others by showing them

their roses & not their thorns [the defects]……….’’