The gardener stretched out his long legs and
his bare foot happen to touch the weed that he had tried to kick
out of his way as he had entered this thicket. As his foot touched
this plant he felt a slight pain and noticed that the plant had
tiny needles that made him want to destroy it immediately. As
he reached for the plant, he became aware that there was a deep
message that he was about to receive. Prej-thistle, as he wanted
to be called, began to release a message. "Why do you want
to destroy me? What have I done that made you decide that I should
be removed from this thicket? What gives you the right to remove
me from this area? Do you have any idea why I am here or what
I am or even what purpose I serve? Even if you try and remove
me, you will find that I have a very long tap root that will leave
my presents here even if you destroy part of me. You will find
that the more you try and destroy me the more my root seems to
take hold. I will not let you remove my presents from this area.
I am determined to find out what I have to share in this thicket.
Try as you might to remove me, I will remain. The longer you try
the longer it will take for me to find out who I am. Why won't
you help me instead of trying to remove me? Each time you tear
part of me away I grow back more determined to win. I too feel
that I have a reason for being here. By what authority do you
have the right to determine what is good for this thicket and
what is not. What right do you have of deciding if I have a purpose
if you have not even given me a chance to reach my potential? " The
gardener knew that he was going to have to prove to this prickly
plant that not every thing was of value in this world. After all,
many of the things in nature had no real purpose, they just happen
to be what they are because of some mutation or cross germination
that produced a plant that was of no value. This little plant
with its prickly little needles, just happen to be one of these.
The gardener began his fight, "Well Prej-thistle, I guess
that we need to look at this situation a little closer and I will
show you that not everything has a useful purpose. You see, you
have only little needles that cause everyone pain when they get
close to you. You are not what I would call a beautiful plant.
Look at your reflection in that stream and you will see what I
mean. Look about you and you will see many plants that add color
and beauty to this area. But I can not see anything in you that
is attractive. Why should I keep you here when by removing your
presents from this area I will have removed the pain that you
cause to those that walk through this area? Can you not see that
in this particular thicket, I hope to keep only that aspect of
nature that adds beauty to those who stroll through? Why do you
think that your presents here is important. Here in this thicket
you are out of place. You need to be where you are with other
plants that are similar to you." Prej-thistle could remain
quiet no longer, "First you will notice that if you are going
to remove me from this thicket you will need to dig deep into
the soil in order to get all of me out. To do this you will need
to destroy other plants that you seem to think are more important
than I. These plants do not have the root system that I do. They
have not had to have it, because of their immediate draw to mankind
they fell under his protection. Their worth was know from the
very beginning. As to your reference to my unattractive appearance,
what makes you the authority on what is beautiful. As I look at
my reflection in the stream, I find my broad and thick leaves
to be very attractive. In fact, I can think of little else that
I find to be as beautiful. You say that I am out of place here.
If you would look just beyond the other side of the tree you might
notice that there are several other thistles just like me. Look
closely and you will see that each of them has grown to the place
that they have many little (very beautiful) flowers. You will
also notice that they are very much a beautiful part of their
surroundings. In my opinion it is not me that is out of place
in this thicket, but you. If you would let me alone, you would
find that I to will grow to the point that I will be able to bloom
and add my own unique beauty to this thicket. Yes I do cause pain
with my needles, but that is my only defense to those who try
and destroy me. You will notice that all of my needles go in one
direction. If you are careful and learn how to approach me you
can touch me and I will cause you no pain. I notice that you do
not find those thistles that are blooming as offensive as you
do me. Can you not find with in you the compassion to allow me
my chance to reach my potential. I ask nothing from you other
than to allow me to grow in my own way. I will cause you no pain
unless you go beyond your bonds of what is right for me. In the
realm of this world how is it that you get to choose what is to
grow and what is not? The gardener could not believe what he had
just experienced. He gently touched the plant to let it know that
he would not disturb it again. He realized that in his own life
he had come upon many thistles and that because of his own predetermined
opinions he had not given these people a chance to grow but actually
tried to remove them from his (or what he thought was his world).
He realized that with his prejudices he was the one that was out
of place in the harmonic design of creation.
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