Men are born soft and supple;
dead, they are stiff and hard.
Plants are born tender and pliant;
dead, they are brittle and dry.
Thus, whoever is stiff and inflexible
is a disciple of death.
Whoever is soft and yielding
is a disciple of life.
The hard and stiff will be broken.
The soft and supple will prevail.
Lao Tzu, from Tao Te Ching, no. 76, translated by Stephen Mitchell
Well said
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Interesting analogy. It reminds me of something I read when I was a young teen in a publication called Guideposts. A man was overheard praying, “Lord, make me a potato.” When his friend asked him what he meant, the man explained that unlike an egg, when boiled a potato becomes soft. As he went through the trials of life he wanted to become soft and tender, rather than hardened and tough.
By putting off the natural man we do become tender and soft, more loving and kind, more like the Savior. Thanks for sharing.
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