A beautiful rose?

Our pastor Tommy has said that he likes to look at people as to who they can be..their potential. If we're honest ,we can say we often look at people and make a snapshot judgement. Perhaps we simply need to not judge. At times we've seen someone when they are going through a storm and they're battered. Maybe they are struggling with an issue in their life and it has affected their walk or witness. What you see at that moment in that person's life, well, it just wasn't a pretty picture. Instead of being so quick to prune them, lift them up in prayer and encourage them. There have been times in my life when my bloom was looking pretty shabby and the fragrance of my life wasn't so sweet. But you know what? I asked forgiveness, repented and am trying to root myself even deeper into my source of life, Jesus.

These are pictures of roses in my front yard. One picture..they are battered after a hard storm. I had to tie the stem to the railing for support. The next, is still a rose, although no bloom because of disease. Had to pull off dead leaves and apply disease killer and let it rest some. The last is a rose as it is intended to be; a beautiful bloom.