C. S. Lewis wrote, “Do not let us mistake necessary evils for good.” I have always thought of thistles in this way. They are lovely and yet deceiving. They tempt us into thinking they are flowers or something of value to be used in a decoration. I guess people can be that way, too. They deceive and tempt us into believing things that just are not true. The pod or bloom is entrancing, but it contains sharp thorns and therein lies the danger.

“I want it said of me by those who knew me best,” said Abraham Lincoln, “that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.”