Blue Roses
Why do I always
have to be the one that starts
to do laundry and there's no
detergent? I guess it was time
for me to do my 'Dollar Store'
run, which included light bulbs,
paper towels, trash bags and
Clorox. So off I go.
I scurried around
the store, gathered up my
goodies, and headed for the
checkout counter only to be
blocked in the narrow aisle by a
young man that appeared to be
about sixteen-years- old. I
wasn't in a hurry, so I
patiently waited for the boy to
realize that I was there. This
was when he waved his hands
excitedly in the air and
declared in a loud voice,
'Mommy, I'm over here.'
It was obvious
now, he was mentally challenged,
and also startled as he turned
and saw me standing so close to
him, waiting to squeeze by. His
eyes widened and surprise
exploded on his face as I said,
'Hey Buddy, what's your name?'
'My name is Denny
and I'm shopping with my
mother,' he responded proudly.
'Wow,' I said,
'that's a cool name; I wish my
name was Denny, but my name is
Hal.'
'Hal like
Halloween?' he asked.
'Yes,' I
answered. 'How old are you
Denny?
'How old am I now
Mommy?' he asked his mother as
she slowly came over from the
next aisle. 'You're
fifteen-years-old Denny; now be
a good boy and let the man pass
by.'
I acknowledged
her and continued to talk to
Denny for several more minutes
about summer, bicycles and
school. I watched his brown eyes
dance with excitement because he
was the center of someone's
attention. He then abruptly
turned and headed toward the toy
section.
Denny's mom had a
puzzled look on her face and
thanked me for taking the time
to talk with her son. She told
me that most people wouldn't
even look at him, much less talk
to him. I told her that it was
my pleasure and then I said
something I have no idea where
it came from, other than by the
prompting of the Holy Spirit.
I told her that
there are plenty of red, yellow
and pink roses in God's garden,
however, 'Blue Roses' are very
rare and should be appreciated
for their beauty and
distinctiveness. You see, Denny
is a 'Blue Rose' and if someone
doesn't stop and smell that rose
with their heart and touch that
rose with their kindness, then
they've missed a blessing from
God.
She was silent
for a second, then with a tear
in her eye she asked, 'Who are
you?'
Without thinking
I said, 'Oh, I'm probably just a
'daffodil or maybe even a
dandelion,' but I sure love
living in God's garden.
Please the next time you see a
BLUE ROSE don't turn your head
and walk off - take the time to
smile and say Hello. Because by
the grace of GOD this mother
could be you. This could be your
child, grandchild, niece,
nephew. What a difference a
moment can mean to that person
or their family.
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