6-17-98
The Garden of Life

I am not much of a gardener. I adore the beautiful sight of a well-loved garden. I thrill at the unexpected fragrance of ordinary petunias. I marvel at the variety of God's creativity in designing so many lovely and unique blossoms. I lack discipline when it comes to the daily maintenance -- otherwise known as the 2 W's -- watering and weeding.

I had planted some annuals. I bought them late in the planting season -- after the pansies had almost bloomed their last. But the pansies were still in the ground and they looked awful. I had to go to the store and decided that IF there were still pretty flowers at a reasonable price, I would get some and work up the beds. The sets looked like they had just come from a nursery -- lush and green. I took this as God giving me the go ahead on the project. And in the back of my mind I knew I was bargaining also, for the watering and the weeding.

I was preoccupied with the fact that they would take extra care because they were planted late. My daughters helped me plant them and I nearly wore them out making sure that they were giving these late-starters every benefit to thrive and grow. I am pretty good at the beginning of the process remember. And the girls, though weary, survived my perfectionist attitude that day.

Shortly after, I had a problem with celulitis in my leg. The doctor recommended that I do no strenuous work for a week and keep the leg elevated. I realized I would have to ask for help to water. And my husband gratefully obliged -- before he went out of town for a week.

I must digress a bit at this point. You see, these flowers are planted at our church -- volunteers do the ground maintenance -- and a lot of the volunteers have been either ill or hurt and unable to work in the yard. I don't tell you this to boast at all. I was giving these flowers as a gift.

I was anxious, as many in our church are those older members with lovely well-groomed yards. And many are even farmers. I did not want my efforts to be wasted. I was doing this to make the church look nicer and ultimately giving the glory to God. I prayed and prayed over those flowers. First, I prayed that they would not die. Secondly, I prayed that God would give me strength and knowledge to finish what we had started.

I tried to have faith. Yet every time I went to church, either for a service or to work on the flowers, I could hardly wait to see if they were thriving and of course they were and I should have known that they would because I had asked God for the help. I asked the Lord to forgive me for not trusting Him.

I was reminded of these verses: "I planted the seed, another watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." 1 Cor. 3:6-9.

Today, as I approached the church building to water, again I looked anxiously for the flowers. It had been a week since I personally had watered them. There they were, thriving for the most part. Some had really filled out and looked like part of the landscape. A couple looked a little peeked, but it was nothing water could not heal.

Then a profound thought struck me. My husband was away in Los Angeles. He too was not in MY care -- but same as the flowers -- it was the sovereign Lord who looked after him. Simple yes, but also profound. My thoughts and prayers were toward him, yet I can do nothing to ensure that he thrives while he is away. I can do nothing to ensure that he thrives any day! I have to trust the Lord to send him nourishment, sunshine and also, rain.

And I was foolishly worrying about the flowers…

BACK HOME NEXT EMAIL

(Jesus Christ is the "Master" of this web site. I am merely its caretaker.)

the webservant does not necessarily agree with ads in the GeoBanner