Plucking Thistles

Abraham Lincoln once said, "Die when I may, I want it said of me by those who know me best that I have always plucked a thistle and planted a rose when I thought a rose would grow." He said this after a brief visit from Laura Sue Jones on Christmas Day, 1864.  Miss Jones was a 23 year old woman from the South trapped in Washington D.C. since the beginning of the war.  She desired a pass to cross Union lines and travel to Richmond, where she planned to marry a Confederate soldier.
Moved by the emotional plea of this overlooked girl, President Lincoln nodded his head, picked up a pen, and wrote a special travel pass.  Miss Jones was speechless.  Falling to her knees before Lincoln, she grasped his hand in gratitude. He insisted she get up and thank God, not him.  Rising, Miss Jones replied, "Good-bye, Mr. President, and may God bless you. I doubt that I will ever see you again until one day we meet in heaven. Lincoln answered, "That you wish me to get there is, I believe, the best wish you could possibly make for me.  Good-bye Miss Jones."
Mr. Lincoln honored this outcast thistle by re-planting her where she could bloom as a rose.
Pastoring often includes dealing with those who feel overlooked, outcast, and unappreciated.  These may be people such as the elderly, homeless, or challenged in some way.  God chose to honor some very overlooked people one night by sending to shepherds the first birth announcement of his Son. Think of this, when a baby is born, the first to be called are usually the immediate family and the closest friends-not some total strangers.
I am sure the shepherds felt honored and surely asked, "Why us? Who are we? Shouldn't the religious leaders know first?"
Today I am asking you, as you read this to connect with someone disadvantaged.  Ask the Lord to show you in what way you can pluck a thistle and plant a rose. There are so many thistles out there that feel overlooked and dishonored. 
Lord, show us how to honor a thistle we know or meet along the way, and make him or her bloom like a rose.