Words that Inspire

During bible study one morning, we came across a wonderful quote from Alphonse Karr:

Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns: I am thankful that thorns have roses.

I really love this quote. It takes grace to be able to see the good in bad situations, the calm in a storm, and the potential in a mess. It got me thinking. Like most people, I am often caught in a place where I assess my now, which is not all I have planned it to be, and wish I had made different decisions. The problem is that I get stuck in a ‘What if….’ loop. In that loop, I see all that could be better with my now, if I had made different choices in the past. I keep seeing the thorns in my roses.

Unlike Alphonse Karr, I do not stop to see the good in my now. Past is past and I cannot change or alter it and the future is simply too far away to stress about. However, the present and the now is all I have and it is certainly less stressful to see what is beautiful about it, as opposed to what it could have been or what it should be. I want to have Alphonse’s mindset. I want to look at my storm and see the calm in it.

I want to see the roses in my thorns. I stopped for a few minutes this morning to assess my present through Alphonse’s lenses, and I have to say: Life is beautiful. I might not have the million dollars I planned to have at this stage of life – yet, but I have my health and I am not in debt. I might not have the Lexus I always planned to have – yet, but my dented Solara takes me from A to B in comfort and I am not standing in the cold waiting for the bus.

I do not have the mansion with the  extended library I have always envisioned – yet, but I have a place where I can waltz in, leave me socks in the middle of the room and crash at will. I do not have a husband and children – yet, but I have parents I would not trade for anything and siblings that are dearer to me than all the wealth in this world.

I am still learning and will continue to learn to see the roses in my thorns. Besides the reduced mental stress, it energizes me in my quest for a better tomorrow and allows me to appreciate and see the many blessings I have now.

I pray for God’s grace to always do this  – whenever I am stuck in a rut and start bemoaning my seemingly bad luck, I want to never lose sight of what God has done for me and I want to never lose faith in him because I know better is coming.

So, do it with me – See the roses in your thorns!