Blessing of Thorns

 
Blessing of Thorns
If ever you felt you have nothing to be Thankful PLEASE read this story...I must warn you to have tissue on hand but PLEASE READ this e-mail story... Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes as she pushed against a November gust and the florist shop door. Her life had been easy, like a spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole her ease. During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose annual holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come. What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. "She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder. "Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?" she wondered aloud. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child? She enters the store... "Good afternoon, can I help you? "The shop clerk's approach startled her. "I....I need an arrangement, "stammered Sandra. "For Thanksgiving? Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge 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' this Thanksgiving? "Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. " Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the shop clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you." Then the door's small bell rang, and the shop clerk said, "Hi Barbara...let me get your order." She politely excused herself and walked toward a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses. EXCEPT the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped...there were NO FLOWERS. "Want this in a box?" asked the clerk. Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers!?! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed. "Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again," she said as she gently tapped her chest. "Uhh," stammered Sandra, "that lady just left with, uhh... she just left with no flowers!" "Right...I cut off the flowers. That's the Special...I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet. "Oh, come on, you can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that?" exclaimed Sandra. "Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling very much like you feel today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was 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 the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel. "So what did you do?" asked Sandra. "I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for good things in life and never thought to ask Him why those good things happened to me, but when bad stuff hit, did I ever ask! It took time for me to learn that dark times are important. I always enjoyed the 'flowers' of life, but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others. "Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God." Just then someone else walked in the shop. "Hey, Phil!" shouted the clerk to the balding, rotund man. "My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement ....twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!" laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue-wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator. "Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra doubtingly. "Do you mind me asking why she wants something that looks like that? "No...I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem. He rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she learned from "thorny" times, and that was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks to Him for what that problem taught us." As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!" "I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life." Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too... fresh." "Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns." Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out. "I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute." "Thank you. What do I owe you?" asked Sandra. "Nothing." said the clerk. "Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me. "The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you'd like to read it first." It read: "Dear God, I have never thanked you for my thorns. I have thanked you a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to you along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of your rainbow look much more brilliant.".../// So my friends I wanted to share with you the Blessings of Thorns. For so many of us here have many thorns in our lives... HUG TO ALL ~ilsa That story you just read is an e-mail someone sent to me Thanksgiving 2008 five months after my Daughter was murdered.
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ilsabailey
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Commentaires

lousei

lousei dit:

Il y a 4723 jours
Ooooo Ilsa, I just read your beautiful Blingee. Blessing of Thorns!
 And I knew not of your Daughter. I'm totally shocked, I find this so sad! and I have no more words for this moment, just that I often do this Blingee will come to him to read again, if I have it difflcult.
 And thank you for shared with everyone.
 Lisa your Daughter is now in the hands of God, and a Very Beautiful Angel who is always With You!
 Hugs and kisses for you Lisa.
I will pray for you strength!
dap77

dap77 dit:

Il y a 4806 jours
Ohhh , this is heart touching but is so truthful! You know, you have to go through the thorns to bloom! Love it!
punky7

punky7 dit:

Il y a 4811 jours
WOW Ilsa what a sad story but beautiful at the same time! Thank you so much for shring it with us:) Oh and the blingee you made for the story is absolutely AWESOME! 5 stars
Fairy_lover73

Fairy_lover73 dit:

Il y a 4866 jours
Oh Ilse this is sad,bt on the other hand shake me awake.Lately i was just thinking of my own thorns,bt this inspired me again.Thank u for sharing this swty!!
Pixytta

Pixytta dit:

Il y a 4870 jours
Thank you Ilsa for sharing this inspirational story! I needed to hear this cause i  am having lots of thorny days lately but now im gonna be my thankful 4 my thorns as well....thank you so much 4 sharing this touching blingee with me, ur such a wonderful & sweet friend!!! Hope u had a lovely Thanksgiving!! much love 2u!!
Fairyirish04

Fairyirish04 dit:

Il y a 4872 jours
You know, I needed a good cry Ilsa, this did the trick.  Thank you for such an inspiring and reminder of what Thanksgiving and Christmas are REALLY about.  I'm so glad to have you as a friend.  I was meant to read this because of my own doubts lately.  I have been asking the wrong questions of God...why this, why Mom, why me.....in reality, it is nothing compared to what Jesus endured.  Thank you for this, I'm saving it.  Have a beautiful day tomorrow, love, Mary.
Joycieoh

Joycieoh dit:

Il y a 4873 jours
wow  Ilsa  what an amazing  story  &  i still  have goosebumps  throughout  my whole  body. Really  made  me  sit  up &  think &  ty  for sharing  it  my friend♥♥♥
bbateman15

bbateman15 dit:

Il y a 4873 jours
I'm speechless. This is so...I don't even know what to say. It has touched me deeply. Thank you for your love and friendship. I needed to hear this....today has been a "thorny" day. Thank you so much!

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