UNFOLDING THE ROSE

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 sweetly
When in my hands they fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud
This flower of God's design
Then how can I think I have wisdom -
To unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust in Him for His leading
Each moment of every day.
I will look to Him for His guidance
Each step of the pilgrim way.

The pathway that lies before me
Only my Heavenly Father knows
I'll trust Him to unfold the moments
Just as He unfolds the rose.

                  Author- Unknown

                 (Courtesy of Dr. Vijay Bajaj Chicago)

         Postscript:    Found this story behind the above poem  

One day, a young monk was walking with his teacher - an older, more seasoned monk in the garden.

Feeling a little insecure about his life, he asked the older teacher for some advice.

The teacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young monk a rosebud and asked him to open it without tearing off any petals. 

The young monk looked in disbelief at his teacher. But because of his great respect for the teacher, 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.

Noticing his inability to unfold the rosebud without tearing it, the teacher began to recite the above poem.