The sky was so beautifully blue this morning. Not a cloud in sight. As the day waned the sun bleached the blueness from the heavens and Father Sky filled his pale blue sky canvas with sun kissed clouds. The birds sang and called their friends to the bird feeders. Old Man Winter had enough breath left to play a few soft songs on the organ wind chimes. My wind chimes were silent, no tintinnabulation from them today. I enjoyed the hymnal sounds of the organ chimes from the large Southern porch across the street as Penelope and I went on our walk.

At sunset Mother Nature watercolored the clouds a pale cigar smoke gray, painted the horizon a pastel blueberry, and dipped her paint brush in cherry blossom pink to wash the outlines of the clouds, a beautifully colored layer of sky and clouds, turning out the day’s light as darkness crept up the street.

Today’s quote from my favorite quote book is from Abraham Lincoln — “You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can be grateful because thorn bushes have roses.” If we don’t have any thorns I guess we’re not a rose. Roses symbolize beauty and love in our lives while the thorns represent challenges and difficulties. Bible scripture in Luke 8:14, says, “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with the worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.”

The thorns in our lives keep us humble and remind us that we are not in control of our lives. God is in control. Our thorns, distractions of our daily lives, can keep us from hearing God, preventing us from following Jesus. In biblical scripture thorns are signs of sin and suffering. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were expelled from the Garden of Eden scripture tells us that God said, “The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.”

The rose bush uses thorns to protect its fragile blooms. God uses life’s thorny challenges to help us deepen our faith and to help us grow spiritually. You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can be grateful because thorn bushes have roses.

“God showed his great love to us not with flowers, but with the thorns.” — Shadia Hrichi