Go Find a “Rose Guy”

Psalm 139:14 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (NIV)

At the end of the Main Street/Grand Ave. exit off of Southbound Interstate 75 in Dayton, Ohio stands a man who sells roses for a living.  On more than one occasion, I’ve stopped and conducted business with him.  There is a place in my heart for the entrepreneur…especially one willing to stand in the cold blustery wind of an early December day in order to earn a living.  This past Thursday I made the exit off of I-75 and there stood my “rose guy” and I pulled over and bought a dozen roses and gave him a Christmas tip.  He smiled (in spite of the fact he didn’t have many teeth) and said “thank you and God Bless.” 

This morning during a run in a gentle snow shower, I began to get reflective and thought about that “rose guy” and everything he represents.  He’s simple, he works hard, he doesn’t let the weather or the environment around him affect him and he smiles even when society says he shouldn’t.  But most importantly he shares a product with the world that is symbolic of love and beauty.

I believe God built us all to be like the “rose guy.”  The simpler we keep it, the more beautiful we become.  If we are grounded in our faith, then our external circumstances will not sway our attitude.  If we believe God has made us fearfully and wonderfully (Psalm 139:14) then we can be happy with ourselves no matter how the world may perceive us.   But most importantly God has wired us to not only be beautiful but to give and appreciate beauty.

For one reason or the other we complicate things. Our life becomes focused on “me” instead of others.  We fall into the victim mentality and ask “why me?”  We let the circumstances around us affect our attitude and we don’t smile even when we have all of our teeth and have no reason not to.  When these behaviors and attitudes set in we slowly blind ourselves from the beauty around us and only think about what we can take instead of what we can give.

I know God wired us to be like the “rose guy” and if you’re on the pity pot right now and enjoying a good pity party about “poor me” with the committee in your head…go buy some roses from a “rose guy.” 

Buying roses from a “rose guy” simply means get out of yourself and go help someone who has it worse off than you.

…and by the way, the reason I went and bought roses from the “rose guy” last Thursday; you guessed it…I was heading towards the pity pot and I knew just the person who would prevent me from going there, (the rose guy) and someone who would appreciate the beauty of a dozen roses (my wife). 

Philippians 2:4 “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (NIV)

P.E.A.C.E.

jay@eaglelaunch.com