Thorns and Roses

About This Book

Life is a garden of contrasts, a sacred blend of fragrance and thorn, tenderness and tension. Every petal that opens to the light has wrestled its way through the dark. The beauty we admire in others often hides unseen battles, long winters of waiting, and storms that tested their roots. We long for the rose, yet the rose is never born without its thorns. The journey of becoming is rarely gentle; it prunes, stretches, refines, and purifies. The seasons of our lives are shaped not for comfort but for cultivation, and every obstacle that confronts us carries within it the seed of transformation. Failure, opposition, and rejection are not verdicts against us but instruments of formation, chiseling strength into our character. Yet so often we resist the very hand that is shaping us, longing for ease and mistaking comfort for peace. The thorns we carry are not punishments from a harsh hand but reminders of grace; they humble us, anchor us, and draw us closer to divine strength.