Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a very beautiful flower. This was no ordinary flower, in fact, this flower had an ability that others craved, yet did not understand. She had a light that shined for all to see, and the kinder she was, the brighter her light and the more beauty she gave to the world. She had a beauty that wasn’t considered beautiful by the world’s standards, yet was mesmerizing, because it came from within.

She had an affinity for words, and used them to help others, because she knew that words were the source of power. She knew that the world was created by words, and that the power of words to bring light and beauty, was a gift that was given to all. So she used this power, and like a healthy flower she bloomed, and other flowers around her bloomed as well.

Together, they became a beautiful garden that was well watered and tended by the light of love. Together they flourished, and she taught them to speak life giving words, and as they did, seeds of hope and help and love sprouted all around them, and her little garden grew.

Soon her garden was no longer so little, and she needed more and more help to spread the power of life giving words. Other beautiful flowers jumped in to help, and their efforts were displayed for all to see, in various forms. Different flowers, each equally beautiful, and complimenting each other with their variety of colors, and textures, and fragrances, sprouted all around. They each had their own gifts to give, and they gave all they had. They built each other up with the power of their words, and life in their garden was not only beautiful, it was good.

Life continued in the word garden, but as so often happens, winds of change blew in. Softly at first, then not so gently. The wind carried words as well, but these weren’t the words the garden flowers were used to. These words were life taking words, words meant to tear down, and words meant to destroy. These words infected one flower at a time, spreading unhappiness, discontent, and misery.

Soon, instead of a garden of flowers speaking positivity, there was a garden that was being sporadically poisoned with flowers who were speaking negativity. Here, and there, sprinkled throughout the garden, were flowers using words for complaining, gossiping, and lying. Ugly words were spreading, and spreading quickly. The garden was in trouble.

Before they knew it, there was a leader of the negativity, a flower unlike all the others. She had an ability to destroy with her words, and her beauty was of this world, as hard and as cruel as the thorns that she adorned with pride. Her beauty was darkness, and her only goal was to spread this darkness. She had a plan, and it involved words as well. She began to speak about the original flower, the flower of light, and she began to speak Behind her back. Behind her back, she spread lies. Behind her back, she spread hate. Behind her back she spread poison. Behind her back, she spoke ugliness, bitterness, and malice. She whispered to one flower, and then another, until so many of the flowers were whispering ugliness to each other, that nobody seemed to know what was true and what was false.

And one by one, as the darkness spread, the flowers began to wilt. Colors began to fade, and petals began to drop. The once vital and beautiful garden was being invaded by weeds of hate. The garden was filling with darkness and it was dying, because a garden needs light to survive, and light to thrive. The light was being choked out by the ugliness and the thorns of the dark flower’s hate.

Looking at the garden, it now seemed as if all hope was lost. Flowers lay bent and broken all around. No longer was the garden filled with laughter and songs, or words of beauty. Instead the air was saturated with the heaviness of weeping, malice and despair. Yes, it seemed as if all hope was lost.

BUT WAS IT?

But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish. – Psalms 9:18

No, all hope was not lost. There is ALWAYS hope. There are ALWAYS words of light. And so the first flower of light, though hurting, reached down inside of herself, to the source of her light, which was the source of all light. She began to use her life giving, light spreading, hope inspiring words. She began to build up her fellow flowers around her, with love filled words and with love filled prayers. She prayed to the light from above, the source of all love. She prayed for her bent and broken flowers, she prayed for their colors to return, she prayed for the garden to be healed. She even prayed for the dark flower, and about the darkness the dark flower was spreading among the others. She prayed that the dark flower’s thorns would stop hurting others, and that the dark flower would find the light, and stop hurting herself. The flower of light prayed, and she prayed, and she prayed.

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21

Before she knew it, others directly beside her heard her prayers and joined in, and then others around them, and soon the prayers, and the words of life and light were spreading like a wild fire, pushing back the thorns, and the weeds, and the darkness, until the light was evident for all to see, all to feel, all to know. Soon, colors returned, and blossoms were strengthened, and a flourishing garden was taking its life of love back.

With the power of words, the power of prayer, this garden once again became the most beautiful in all the world. Soon with the power of words, and the power of prayer, and the power of love, the flower of darkness, lost all her darkness and her pain. She became a flower of light as well, and her beauty was spoken of around the world. Her words of life became so powerful that seeds of hope drifted from her, along with seeds from the other flowers of light, floating along the wind, landing here and there, until they started new little gardens all across the world, far and wide, as far as the eye could see. Soon there was breathtaking beauty everywhere.

And all the flowers, in all the gardens, in all the places of this world, knew that they would not always be able to escape all the darkness. Yet, they also knew that one day they would be in a place where there would be no darkness, and that they would live for all eternity. They knew that there would be no more pain, no more tears, no more suffering, no more hate. They knew that one day there would only be love.

They knew, because there really is such a thing as happily ever after.

The end.

God bless you,

Ray

Just remember you will always be happier spreading words of hope, love, and by praying, then you ever will be by talking Behind her back.

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“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Matthew 5:43‭-‬44

But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.
Acts 12:24

And because of his words many more became believers.
John 4:41

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13