Bud or Stem?

This week I received a post from a young lady in the 8th grade who feels it's important for young women to make wise decisions in their lives. Here is what she wrote!

By: Hope Tucker

A young woman is like a rose, whether she resembles its bud -- beautiful, filled with potential and sweet fragrance, or its stem -- rough, jagged, covered with thorns capable of tearing into flesh. She reflects these qualities in all that she does; her words, her actions, even something that may seem insignificant can affect the world around her, for better or for worse.

Now, every woman must make a big decision in life -- and no, it's not which pair of shoes go with a favorite dress, or how many friends she'll accept on facebook. Those decisions can be important in their own right, but this one can easily become permanent, and it affects other people, not just the one deciding. Will this woman be the rosebud, and grace the world with a godly presence, or will she be the stem, with a disposition as sharp and unattractive as a thorn? It's important to be aware of this decision before making it. Wouldn't it be awful to spend all that time hurting those around you, only to have lost their trust so that whenever you try and make things right, they just walk the other way? You don't want to be that girl, do you? It's understandable to have flaws, for every rosebud has its torn petals, but taking it to the extreme causes a lot of unnecessary heartache for not only yourself, but for the people you love.

So take the first step. Try complimenting a friend, or giving a helping hand to someone who needs it. Anything can make a difference. Then, just wait. Your outlook on life will improve when your attitude does, and chances are, it'll be the same for someone close to you, because, as everyone knows, a smile is contagious.

God has blessed me with this important lesson at a young age, and I am fortunate to be able to share it with my sisters in Christ. If there's one thing you can take from my advice, it's this: For the next week, I challenge you to look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, "Am I a bud or a stem?"