I recently watched a lecture delivered to a group of hospice workers that was being delivered by a retired teacher who was dealing with terminal cancer. He opened his talk with a quote: “I can complain that the rose bush has thorns, or I can be grateful that the thorn bush has flowers.” It’s a profound statement on its own, but given that it was shared by a gentleman who was living out his last days, dealing with chemotherapy, in failing health, and witnessing his family and friends mourning his impending death; the quote is noticeably weightier. The speaker went on to explain that the best parts of life take place in the little things that we enjoy every day. It is far too easy to lose sight of these roses by fixing our attention on the thorns. The gentleman went on to say that he didn’t want to die, but that he would not trade the experiences he had gone through for anything. Knowing his time was short had prompted the gentleman to spend more time with his wife, to laugh more, to hold those around him closer, and to enjoy life in a way that he never had before. There’s a valuable lesson to be gleaned from this man’s experience. Life is full of blessings that God has given us; ones that we can easily miss if we keep our minds set on the trials. Mind you, this is not about just thinking positive and trying to be upbeat, regardless of how tough things get. Instead, it has to do with realizing that God gives us gifts. The book of James tells us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above.” The real challenge is recognizing the gifts that God gives us as gifts, then being grateful for them. Beyond being grateful for them, we need to spend time enjoying them. The same speaker told a story about a workshop he did with a group of corporate executives. He began his first session by asking how many of the attendees had said, “I love you” to their wives before leaving for work that morning. In a crowd of several hundred men, only 2 had. He than stopped the meeting and directed all of the men in the room to call home and tell their wives how they felt. The speaker concluded this story by telling of the large quantity of letters he received thanking him for making them do that. It is far too easy to become fixated on the work and difficulties of the day, without taking time to enjoy the blessings God provides. This seems like an easy task, and in principle it is. “Enjoy the good things” is easily accomplished by just enjoying the good things. However, the challenging part turns up when we have to remember to do it every day. The apostle Paul wrote: “whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” His direction involves daily remembrance and thanksgiving to God for the great things he has given to us. A lifestyle of focusing on the roses, rather than the thorns, begins with thanking God daily for those gifts. It continues by intentionally allotting time to enjoy them. I spend almost every day with my children. They are always around me. So much so, that it becomes a challenge to remember to stop worrying about work and focus on them every day. The same is true of everything in life. If we don’t take the time and effort needed to laugh with, hug, play with, and enjoy each other; then it won’t happen.
