The Blue Rose
A Story...
Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to
go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs,
paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the
checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who
appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently
waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice,
"Mommy, I'm over here."It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned
and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened
and surprise exploded on his face as I said,
"Hey Buddy, what's your name?"
"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.
"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve."
"Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?"
"How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle. "You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass
by."
I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes
about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with
excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then
abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.
Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time
to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him,
much less talk to him.
I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea
where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in
God's Garden; however,
"Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness.
You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.
She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?"
Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's garden."
She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.
May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and
walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.
A friend of mine emailed this story to me.
It moved me deeply.
No wonder Jesus said, "Let the little children come unto Me."
I get the idea that Jesus was trying to get a message across that was much deeper than what His disciples could actually see. I believe He wanted to teach His followers to stop and acknowledge people. Too often we just hurry through life and miss all kinds of hurting people right around us.
The man in this story was wise enough to give a little of his time to this 15 year old boy and in doing so, he was giving more than just time, he was giving part of his life away.
He was investing. He was acknowledging something unique.
He took the time to smell the rose.
