Archived Post (April, 2015) – Friends, Please let me start with a disclaimer. I am NOT a gardener, by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I’m what some would call a “black thumb”. I’ve been known to kill ivy (for real). However, in the fall, we decided to have some landscaping done on our house and it has fallen to me to make sure things are watered, fertilized, etc.
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that one of my true talents is following directions. I mean, I if you tell me to water three times per week, and it makes it on the list, I will water three times a week. It seems to be the subjective things I struggle with, like what EXACTLY is watering? Walking by and dumping the rest of my water bottle on it after a run? A quick spray with a hose? Standing over each plant with a hose for five minutes each? Obviously, I need some further instruction. 🙂 Confessions aside, today as I was working in the yard, I got to thinking about these two plants.
This first one was planted last year by a professional and it was PERFECT when it was planted. It had a nice, big root ball (or so I’ve been told). It was green and had been picked just for this spot. I followed the instructions I had been given and did what I was supposed to do, but it hit some hard times this winter – frost, snow, ice, rabbits. And, now, look at it! It is PITIFUL – it has more that is dead than alive! I was ready to pull it up and throw it out, but then a true gardener came by. He didn’t seem to notice the dead; he just said it needed to be trimmed. He reminded me that the roots were strong and deep. Then… he pointed out the new growth. All of those tiny baby leaves are budding; they are green and beautiful. He then told me to wait one more week before I trim off the dead part; wait and see what becomes green again.
Friends, I can’t even tell you how this plant has spoken to my heart today. My life is this plant. My heart started out strong when I was young. But now, it has gone through rough times – dark and cold. When the winter of my soul was over, I could have easily been ripped out of the soil for the trash pile. My branches were dead – producing no fruit, no green leaves. But, God’s perfect spring woke my soul. He, the Master Gardener, saw that I wasn’t really dead. Oh, I had lots of branches that needed pruning, to be sure, but I also had new and tender leaves that needed HIS care. I needed His Word to be water to my soul; I needed His Perfect Grace to be my warmth; I needed the Holy Spirit to breathe new life into me. I was reminded of Jesus words in John 15:
“I am the vine true vine, and my father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”
NIV John 15
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for allowing me to remain in you, for taking time to lovingly prune away the ugly brown so that I could grow.
Now, when I started typing this, I said it would be the tale of two plants and I’ve gotten all wordy and such, so the second tale would be way too long… Perhaps tale #2 another day. 🙂
Many Blessings, Bethany