This weekend I was pleasantly surprised when I stepped into my backyard and found that, even though it is November, my rose brushes were in bloom again. Not only does their beauty bring pleasure to the senses, but they are a gentle reminder to look for God’s perfect plan in everything.

There is a famous quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln that says:

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”

Sometimes our lives seem to be filled with the thorns of strife, trouble, and worry but I am so thankful to our Heavenly Father that He sees fit to place the roses of His will, protection, and grace among those thorns. Because of this, I chose to rejoice.

 I am linking up with Garden of Learning’s Gratitude Challenge and Teaching Good Things 30 Days of Gratitude.