What is your life?

What is your life?

The Rose Talked Back
"The man sweeping the synagogue paused for a moment.  He looked at the flowers lying about in disorder, ‘What waste!’  He said too himself.  Those roses had adorned the pulpit at a wedding aan hour before.  Now all was over and they were waiting to be discarded.
The attendant leaning on his sweeper was lost in thought when suddenly he heard a strange sound.  One of the roses replied to him.
‘Do you call this a waste?” the flower protested, ‘What is life anyway, yours or mine, but a means of service?  My mission was to create some fragrance and beauty, and when I have fulfilled it my life has not been wasted.  And what greater privilege is there than to adorn a bride’s way to her beloved, what greater privilege than to help glorify the moment when aa bride and groom seal their faith in each other by entering the covenant of marriage?’
Our little flower paused for a moment too watch the man’s face, and then continued her discourse.
‘Roses are like people.  They live in deeds, not in time.  My glory was but for a brief hour, but you should have seen the joy in the bride’s eye.  I like to believe that I had something to do with it, by creating a suitable setting for the moment of her supreme happiness.  So don’t grieve for me.  My life has been worthwhile.
Having spoken her little piece, the rose was once more silent.  The attendant, startled from his reverie and a little wiser, pushed the sweeper again and continued with his work.
                                                                                                         Ben Zion Bokser.
What are you doing for your fellow man?
I look around at the world today and see sadly a very selfish world. At the same time I see many who are making a difference in the world. From Bill Gates founder of Micro Soft who give tens of millions away to help the needy, to the average man and woman on the street who simply help out at a food bank.
         Still more needs to be done.
If the statistics I’ve read are true only ten percent of people volunteer for anything. Most people simply don’t want to help others it seems.
I believe irrespective of who we are we can help someone in some way.
Anne Frank a young Jewish girl hiding from the Nazi’s in occupied Holland during world war two wrote this in her diary,
“Give of yourself, give as much as you can?  And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness!  If everyone were to do this and not be as mean with a kindly word, then there would be much more justice and love in the world.  Give and you shall receive, much more than you would have ever thought possible.  Give, give again and again, don’t lose courage, keep it up and go on giving!  No one has ever become poor from giving!”                                                                                                                                              Anne Frank
Francis of Assisi wrote,

“Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is discord, harmony;

Where there is error, truth;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

                                                                                              Francis of Assisi
Be you a Christian or not the sentiment of the prayer of St. Francis has within it truths that are universal. It’s theme is giving of ones self. Helping those in need.
This to me is what it is to be human.
Think about it.