Betty Young
June 1, 1922 – Dec 8, 2009
God’s rosebud
A new minister was walking with an older, more seasoned minister in the garden one day.
Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was asking the older preacher for some advice.
The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals.
The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of God for his life and ministry.
But because of his great respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to try to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact.
It wasn’t long before he realized how impossible this was to do.
Noticing the younger preacher’s inability to unfold the rosebud without tearing it, the older preacher began to recite the following poem…
”It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of God’s design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.”
”The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
GOD opens this flower so easily,
But in my hands they die.”
”If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of God’s design,
Then how can I have the wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?”
”So I’ll trust in God for leading
Each moment of my day.
I will look to God for guidance
In each step along the way.”
”The path that lies before me,
Only my Lord and Savior knows.
I’ll trust God to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose.”
Postscript:
Roses were Betty’s favourite flower. On the rare occasions when she was in UK between June and September, she would revel at the sight of roses of all colours in nearly every garden in Felixstowe, the town of her birth and upbringing.
Here, in the heat of Malaysia, whilst deeply grateful to her friends who brought her roses, being tender-hearted, she was sad that they would only be able to display their true beauty for a very few days.
This is but one of my many cherished memories of my dear Betty – her love and concern for roses.
The Micah Mandate is a Christian-based public interest advocacy ministry that seeks a transformation of our nation through justice, mercy and humility.
December 5th, 2011 at 11:55 am
When I think Betty Young, I think of her sweet smile …. Thank you Mrs Young for your sacrifices.
December 31st, 2011 at 11:27 pm
Is Betty the wife of Peter Young?
I was a young pastor in the 1950s/1960s serving several small churches in
Pahang and Selangor – Bentong, Mentakab, Grace Sentul, Wesley Port Swettenham
and Wesley Klang. And I’ve had several contacts then – with Peter.
I’m 82 now; and still active in the Methodist Church of the Incarnation in Singapore – serving as a resource person for Cell Groups and giving Lectures/conducting Workshops for the local church at large. My last lecture
was on “When Christians and Muslims Were Jews!”
I may have ‘met’ Betty Young – but her love for roses do give several messages. Here’s a few:
“The greater the thorns – the prettier the rose”
“If you cannot give a rose; give a petal”
Mrs Young has passed on….. but the roses and petals left beind lives on…
Perhaps Peter can renew contact with me.
Edwin Khoo