Hardness Outside - Beauty Inside

Good Morning Friends,

I never know from one moment to the next what message the Lord will give unto me. But, I am so blessed to listen to him.

This morning, I was on my to the back yard.... I noticed yesterday that a single rose started to bloom. I looked up at the sky and winked at God and said thanks. No matter how strong Hurricane Ike was... God was stronger and had one of his beautiful flowers bloom.

My back yard looks like a "war zone"... there is debris everywhere... The Lord led me to the beautiful rose and I looked upon it with a tear..(see photo above) No matter how bad things appear to be.. take time to find the beauty within and around you.

I had my camera and took a photo... I wanted to always have this moment in a photo.. As soon as I took the picture.. I bent down and cut the rose.. I put it to my face and it had a wonderful scent.. the leaves were as soft as velvet...

I headed back towards the front of the house and noticed an older male on a bicycle. At that moment, the Lord whispered into my ear... "Even the toughest have beauty inside".... What was the Lord trying to say to me?? I then heard him whisper.. "Give the rose to the man on the bike".... But Lord, it is the only beauty in my back yard... can't I take it in and look upon it during the day?....... The Lord said:

You have seen the beauty I wanted you to see today.. you will find more beauty after passing on the rose... O.K. I say .....

I stop the man on the bike and hand him the rose... The man is a rough looking one on a bike older than I... As I handed him the rose, I noticed I had blood running down my finger.. one of the thorns had cut my finger..

I asked the man to wait so I could get something to wrap the rose up so he would not cut himself as I. I walked around and picked up a piece of plastic.. The the Lord told me... "Hardness Outside - Beauty Inside".... Now I am lost and have no clue as to what it meant..

Back I go to the man waiting for me.. He asked me: "Why did you give me this rose?" I stated it was a gift from the Lord.. He looked at me in a strange way and said.. "I see you have alot of damage".. I told him it could have been worse... but, God was watching over us and I am blessed.. It was then the Lord opened my eyes and words began to flow.. I told the man that I sensed he had a hardness towards God before the storm.. but, he was starting to see things in a different light... Then the light bulb went off in my head.. I understood what God meant when he said "Hardness Outside - Beauty Inside".. It was nothing to do with the rose.. it was the Man. He appeared to be rough on the outside.. but, he was seeking the beauty of the Lord inside.. Wow.. I stood in awe of the Lord and watched as the man put the rose to his nose.. He looked and said: "This is the most beautiful rose I have ever smelled".. I told him it was a gift from God.....

There it was.. The outer hardness of the man was broken and the beauty of God was flowing inside him. He asked how he could learn to be more like a child of God than a hard man that so many view him to be. I told him to "Let Go and Let God"....

He smiled and said.. Bless You.. I replied.. Thank you and May the Lord open your eyes to see him more.. Take time to find a good church and make time to study the word.. He said he would...

As he rode off, I had a tear in my eye.... I thanked God for blessing me with more beauty than that of a single rose.. I was blessed to share how wonderful the Lord is..

Take time to go into the land and find the beauty in anyone who displays hardness. Inside is a beautiful part of them just waiting to get out..

God Bless All ><>

Bee
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