Inspiration: God’s Rosebud…
“God will not let you go through more than you can handle. If you have a big challenge today, that just means you have a big destiny.” Joel Osteen
Inspiration: God’s Rosebud…
GOD’S ROSEBUD
A new minister was walking with an older,
more seasoned minister in the garden one day.Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was asking the older preacher for some advice.
The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals.
The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older
preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of God for his life and ministry.But because of his great respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to try to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact.
It wasn’t long before he realized how impossible this was to do.
My sisters sent this thoughtful piece to me and I felt that by sharing it, others would benefit greatly from it. Sometimes we forget to ask for help when situations in our lives are challenging or we take on herculean tasks we can’t complete. We might even imagine that we are alone in our struggles. If we give our best to a task, our effort will bear fruit. We can surrender our need to be perfect or right and admit that we have taken on more than we can manage… Ask for help. To err is human. More below!
When you pray boldly, you’re not being selfish. You’re not being greedy. You’re releasing your faith, and that gets God’s attention. Joel Osteen
Inspiration: God’s Rosebud…
Noticing the younger preacher’s inability to unfold
the rosebud without tearing it, the older preacher began to recite the following poem…“It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of God’s design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.”“The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
GOD opens this flower so easily,
But in my hands they die.”“If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of God’s design,
Then how can I have the wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?”“So I’ll trust in God for leading
Each moment of my day.
I will look to God for guidance
In each step along the way.”“The path that lies before me,
Only my Lord and Savior knows.
I’ll trust God to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose.”
The wisdom of this poem is that it is okay to acknowledge our limitations and ask for help. We are works in progress; unfolding like a magnificent flower into our own greatness and asking for help, divine or otherwise, goes a long way. We all look to something internal/external for comfort, grace and strength. Call it what you may and embrace it.
What are your thoughts? How would you describe your attitude towards asking for help? When do you know you have taken on a herculean task? Do you ask for help? What lessons could we learn form the Rosebud? Do share! Thank you. 
*Please bear with me as I catch up on your blogs and commenting… I’m still recovering from a bronchial cold and will be back on track with reading and responding to your blogs soon. Thank you all for your patience! 
Positive Motivation Tip: Be open to change and, like a rosebud, unfold into your divinity…
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos: Yellow rosebuds, via Wikipedia, and Red rosebuds from my personal collection
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
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- The God Of Comfort (theraysofsunshine.wordpress.com)
- Something Out of Nothing (theraysofsunshine.wordpress.com)
This is an interesting question for me because I loathe asking for help; I never do and I very stubbornly won’t. I am always rejecting offers of help. Don’t get me wrong, I get lots of moral and personal and blogging support for my situation (husband with Parkinson’s in nursing home etc.) so feel that is enough. Dunno!
Julie, You do so much for others and give so much of your time and love to many, please ask for and accept help when you need it. Life is truly about reciprocity. If we deplete ourselves and refuse to allow others to help us replenish, it eventually leads to burn out and illness… Please do and you’d be richer for it. TY for commenting. 🙂
I guess I just don’t want to accumulate the reciprocal obligations that come with asking for help. Perhaps it depends on who you ask – still unsure and able to manage okay. You are so lovely to respond – thank you and thank you for your amazing blog.
Thank you too for your amazing blog and insights. 😉
Love that rosebud story. A lesson to be learned.
Aye dear one, aye! 🙂
Sorry to hear you haven’t been well.
You know the best stories! Your blog is well named.
TY! And you my dear will be blessed with the funniest dreams and tales to share on your blog. TY for the blog love Tilly! You’re the best. 🙂
I’m not very good at asking others for help. I love the poem about the flower. So true I think of the analogy of the flower opening as God’s Perfect timing. It’s funny as I was commenting on the other post I had not read this post and the last line came to me as I could see in my mind a flower opening slowly but joyfully. And I thought well that’s a silly sentence to add at the end, but as I read this post it isn’t silly at all. Funny how life is. Beautiul Post.
Oh yeah, I did wonder about that comment. It was profound but a tad out of the context of the other things you said… Fascinating. TY! 🙂
I thought it was odd too. But I have found that some times it’s the odd stuff that seems to make sense to me later on in my life. :+) Learning to trust the odd.
As I think of perfect timing like a rose opening I realize that I need to have trust that the world also has it’s perfect timing even if I don’t understand all things. Maybe there is an order to it as there seems to be an order to my own life as well. Just some thoughts that your post inspired today. :+)
I agree with the points you raise. Sometimes when we just go with the flow of our hearts, ideas come that might seem quirky but later resonate… I like that. 😉
I think those of us who are givers have the hardest time reaching out for a hand ourselves. I’m constantly working on it. Love the poem and hope you are back on your feet!
b
Thank you Barb! Yes, I am and doing my best to catch up. Hope all is well with you too. 😉
This was a really interesting post. I too do not like to ask for help. But some how with age I have started to realize that, when it’s really difficult to handle the problems in life, it’s not that much bad to ask for help. I like the first poem you have shared a lot. A great thought behind that poem. And not o forget, that quote by Joel Osteen is beautiful.
Great post!
Thank you Arindam! I agree with you, it’s not bad to ask for help even if we get a few to respond. I’m learning to ask more and not holding back. Often we don’t because we fear disappointment or rejection but that is part of life too. TY!
I love the poem . . . there is a lesson in there for all of us.
Yes… so true. 😉
I have to admit I had read the poem before…and loved it!…and the way you write about it and your additions make it even better…
I have 3 roses in my garden…and they are named after the ones that gave them to me…”Hazel”…a white rose…for my Mom who lived to be 98 before passing…”Booker”… a red long stem rose…for a neighbor of my Mom who was such a special lady… and “Melanie”… a red “Knock Out” rose bush…for my daughter-in-law…who is precious to me for making my son so happy…Nice post!…~mkg
Wonderful that you honored these ladies with such a special gift. I love roses too and planted some in my garden. Sadly, they have not done too well. TY! 🙂
Marilyn, add your blog to your gravatar… It doesn’t show up at all and is an easy way to click over and read your writings. 🙂
Asking for help can be difficult – I am empathic and expect those around me to sense when I require it and offer it! When they don’t I can feel like a martyr! But I’m learning from my grandchildren how good it makes them feel, when I ask them to do something for me. Asking can also be giving! 🙂
Asking can also be giving… True! Good for you to ask too. TY! 🙂
I find it difficult asking for help for I do not want to be crushed in case I am refused. Interesting and thought provoking post.
Yes, I hear you and used to feel that way (crushed). But as we accept ourselves and our limitations, we learn to do same for others… accept their limitations. I’ve asked for help and been publicly refused but the lesson I learned was that it didn’t define me or stop me from living my life. I brushed it off and moved on.
thank you for the God’s Rosebud story…now, whenever i see a rose, it will remind me to let God do as He will and to patiently follow Him in faith. your roses are beautiful!
Amen… The roses are from Wikipedia or Flickr I believe… and credit given. I’m with you on trusting god’s wisdom. TY! 🙂
Pinned your blog on my Blog Hop Board on Pinterest. Hope brings you more readers. http://pinterest.com/pin/147141112796349923/
Thank you Katherine, and I believe it sure did… I truly appreciate your kindness and hope you are enjoying your summer too. 🙂
Simple and profound. I needed to be reminded of this, Elizabeth, especially now. Still trying to figure it all out. Thanks!
Neat post and beautiful story!