Malia,

You are right on track – I created this image and poem to discuss both the challenge and benefit from serving people. In this poem, the farmer spends 35 years cultivating the lives of people whom he cares for. The thorn image illustrates how people can sometimes hurt us – this is just a fact of life whenever you work with people. The apostle Paul had a thorn in his side, which kept him humble.

But this farmer resolves to not allow these difficult people (i.e. “soil”) to callous his heart. People often allow bitterness to fester when someone wounds them. This farmer didn’t go down that road. He maintained a soft and caring heart toward others. He didn’t let these “thorns” walk all over him but at the same time, he understood that people sometimes make mistakes and say things they don’t really mean, which can hurt.

The rewards of faithful service are seeing people “blossom” into men and women who make a difference in this world. The image for these types of people are red roses. The shade of red is “exquisite” and almost translucent. A beautiful sight to behold. This provided great enjoyment for the farmer as he soaks in the view of this red rose – his prized possession. The farmer realized all his hard work had finally paid off because this person had blossomed into a person who was mature and ready to serve others.

Thanks again for taking the time to contemplate what this image and poem mean. I hope this information proves helpful and encourages you to serve others faithfully.

Regards,

Matt

Hi Darren,

Thanks for checking out the site. Glad you liked this post. What do you think about this line in the poem, “My hands are calloused but not my heart.”

Regards,

Matt