The Wisdom of Counsel, The Rose and the Thorn: Perspective for January 2024

A Monthly Inspirational Viewpoint of Life’s Journeys with Sonia Wignall.

Episode Nineteen

In my beloved nephew Gabo’s class his teacher used the “thorn and the Rose”, to teach the young children a life lesson. The top of the stem is a beautiful rose. If you hold the stem wrong or manage it wrong, the thorns will prick your fingers.

The teacher asked the young children, “what is your rose, and what is your thorn?”

For me, my rose is my ability to believe it is possible. My thorn is not waiting for wise counsel. My impatience is my thorn.

Most recently, I had made a very poor, but not critical, decision. It was a very simple error of choice. I made this choice to solve one problem, and in so doing, without counsel, I unfortunately created a bigger problem for our family.

The decision not to get counsel would nearly become my undoing.

Getting counsel is not only wise, but it is courageous.

Many Great and wise men and women get counsel, or are coached.

Great Athletics, leaders, etc, receive counsel and or coaching on a regular basis. They get the importance of wisdom, accountability, guidance and understanding.

In Biblical times, it was the prophet Samuel that counseled King David. Naomi counseled Ruth on how to snag Boaz.

Joseph counseled Pharaoh.

Rebecca counseled Jacob on how to get his dying Father’s blessings.

Mordeciah, counseled Queen Esther on how to save the Jews from annihilation.

In our prayer group this morning we read Psalms 33:10.

“The Lord frustrates the counsels of the nations; he brings to nought also the reasonings of the peoples, and brings to nought the counsels of princes”.

The Word “counsel” ministered to the thirst in my soul. It brought me back to the reality that God is sovereign and his grace over my life is sufficient.

The day before, in my attempt to fix the wrong decision and resolve the mistake, I began screeching my hysteria as I headed towards making a decision that would have created a much more complex and long term crisis.

Like the driver whose car is going off track, he overcorrects the steering and completely loses control of the car. I was running around my house in a 10 out of 10 state of anxiety, foolishly believing that it was up to me to not only fix this, but do so quickly. I was about to take myself and my family closer to the edge of the cliff.

I forgot, there was a God, waiting for me with grace, and counsel, and a consequence to experience and learn from as a result of my decision.

I was failing to “Be still and know that he is God.” Psalms 46:10.

My son stepped up and talked me down from my anxiety and hysteria. He moved me away from the edge of the cliff. He reminded me that I was a resourceful and wise woman and that I had choices. The most important choice was to choose to slow down, stop, be patient and wait on the right time to make the next move.

He spoke “wisdom” to me. He guided me in my emotional state of darkness to move my hands gently from the thorny stem, and feel the beauty of the rose.

In other words I did not have to keep my fingers gripped around the thorns in my life. I could let go. There was and would always be more and better choices.

He unpacked Isaiah 31 for me.

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”.

One would think that as a woman who leads a weekly prayer group, I would be so packed with the word, that I would not make foolish decisions. That I would not go into a state of anxiety or hysteria.

The reality is we can all, by unbridled patterns and desires, flow in and out of wisdom.

The key is to get wisdom, counsel and understanding. These prophetic and spiritually strong support keeps us calm, centered and far away from the edge of the cliff.

It will keep our hands off the thorns of life.