...of thorns against our palms

…I assumed that the thorns were removed at time of purchase. “What if we hadn’t put them in a vase because we wanted to hold them in our hands, those thorns would have pricked our palms?” I thought.

THAT’S IT! Perhaps we should have physically held on to them; then once we tried to offer the rose to someone else, he/she would have seen the scars and blood that the thorns had caused. Better yet, maybe Anton and I would have appreciated the sacredness of our roses more had we been able to visibly see our scarred, bloodied palms; serving as a way out of the temptation, (1 Corinthians 10:13). Then again, maybe not because I know, for me, as spiteful as I had been, I would have nonchalantly washed my hands of the blood just for the few moments of physical pleasure, which I thought was meant only for revenge.

“…All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:1-8 NIV