My mom used this in her relief society lesson the other week and I absolutely loved it! It truly makes you think about what this holiday is truly about; recognizing the good in ourselves and others and showing gratitude to those we love. Hope you enjoy! It's called...
"The Parable of the Rose"
A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully, and before it blossomed he examined it. He saw the bud that would soon blossom-- and also the thorns. and he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come form a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?" Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and before it was able to bloom, it died...
So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose- the God like qualities planted in us at birth-- growing amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects. We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and 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 Savior's greatest characteristics was that He was able to show people the kingdom of heaven within them. He was able to reach past their thorns and show them the rose.
This is the characteristic of love-- to look at a person, and, knowing his faults, recognizing the nobility in his soul, and help him realize that he can overcome his faults. If we show him the rose, he will conquer the thorns, then he will blossom, bringing forth thirty, sixty, or a hundred-fold as it is given to him.
Our duty in this world is to help our brothers and sisters by showing them their roses and not their thorns. Only then can we achieve the love the Savior wants us to feel for each other; only then can we become perfect as He wants us to be and blossom in the garden of His Father."
- Author Unknown
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