Roses Are Beautiful, But They Still Have Thorns
Roses are beautiful but handled incorrectly, the stem will cause pain.
We are all roses! We are all beautiful! Yet, we’ve all experienced thorns in life. There are different reasons for us to experience thorns, but they are necessary for growth, correction, pulling down strongholds, breaking generational curses, lessons to be learned, and the list goes on and on. Whatever your reason for experiencing thorns, learn the lesson so that you don’t keep experiencing the same pain.
In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul was experiencing a thorn and gives a clear reminder that how we deal with the thorn can show God’s power in areas in which we are weak. “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Life is going to have moments of pure roses, but it will also have valleys filled with thorns. A gentle reminder for us is that consistently seeking beauty in life and not addressing the thorns causes a false reality and an inability to adjust to changes and roadblocks as necessary. How often do we value the beauty of roses and disregard the thorns? How often do we acknowledge the greatness happening in someone’s life and not recognize the trials that come along with it?
Sometimes we have many thorns in our lives such as debts, serious illnesses, family issues, relationship issues, and so on. At times, these thorns can be occurring simultaneously. With the trials of life, we sometimes have to fight just to see one rosebud, one glimmer of hope, but if we persevere, soon we realize that there have always been rosebuds, but we were solely focusing on the thorns. Even though we are internally focusing on the thorns, we oftentimes only want others to see the roses. Think about it. When we see a beautiful bouquet of roses, the primary focus is on the roses, not the thorns that are submerged in the vase or wrapped in paper.
The feelings that we sometimes express are often not how we truly feel. We cover up intimate hurts and pains to give others a specific image that we want to portray. What I call the Stain Glass Window effect continues to grow as we hide the more painful and darker hurts because of the thorns of life.
Why do people sometimes feel very different from what they express and why do they keep their true feelings secret? The reasons are many because each person has a different experience. To have a true understanding requires transparency and open conversations. The truth of the matter is that sometimes when we share the pain from our thorns, it can cause pain for ourselves and others.
Why do some people hide their true feelings and emotions; while others are much more open and comfortable in their expressions? This is an ever-evolving puzzle that may never be solved because 2 people may experience the same thorn and have different outcomes. They will have different methods of dealing with the thorn; some with healthy choices and others with unhealthy choices.
Experiences are the melting pot in which feelings, traits, and approaches to life are developed and merged. It begins with the parents and continues to evolve with friends, teachers, partners, colleagues, and social media throughout life. Many roses and many thorns are embodied in the melting pot of experiences.
These relationships have a profound impact on development and how choices are made in terms of interactions. Through this development, a person begins to decide how to deal with their emotions … whether open and expressive or hidden. We all have a tendency to retain feelings and emotions for ourselves and avoid letting others in on intimate details of our lives that’ll reveal thorns.
The desire to express other emotions depends on how we feel about ourselves and the reaction we may get from others. I remember a post that was quickly deleted because I shared my thoughts (my thorns) on decisions I’ve regretted throughout my life. It was full of thorns and not so rosy as I shared intimate details of my life. Regardless of the post being deleted, I felt comfortable sharing and expressing my thoughts. I felt safe to share with the hopes of helping someone else deal with the emotions that come along with different thorns of life. Removal of the post gave a reality that people want to see the good (roses) and not become aware of or deal with the pricks and pains that occur because of thorns.
While we celebrate the roses, we must accept the thorns to begin the healing process. Anything that is hidden and not acknowledged can’t be healed. In reality, we all have thorns and our thorns can help others when we are willing to be open and transparent.
Questions to ponder: Have you acknowledged the thorns that have occurred in your life? Did you take the time to be still, hear God’s voice, and heal?
In what ways can you use past experiences to help others?
Remember–roses are beautiful, but they still have thorns.