A ROSE IS A ROSE IS A ROSE.......

When I worked with flower arranging in garden club,I much preferred using roses,Snapdragons, and Gladiolas.Roses were my flower of choice, because even though they had thorns, they were so forgiving to work with.
I think when God wants to work with someone, and teach them a lesson,He will often give us a thorn in the flesh,to remind us of His Grace, and of whose strength we need,in order to see us through in our time of need.If those thorns remain with us, and we don't depend on God for our help,then we will remain holding onto that "thorn in the flesh". God even allowed satan to bombard Job with all kinds of thorns, in the form of personal hardsships, and sufferings,and yet,Job chose to trim those thorns and hold in his hand a "rose", instead of a thorn!
Christ is the most perfect rose, we will ever receive....One without thorns!
A "forgiving" rose,by any other name would still be called Jesus!
Becky