In My Garden - For His Glory, Thursday, October 2, 2008

Yet another water leak in our almost 12-year-old house forced me indoors yesterday waiting for my sweet brother, our erstwhile plumber, to appear and rescue us from the flood. Whoever said a woman isn't fit for construction work didn't see me hard at work pulling down wet sheet rock from a kitchen island and hauling it to the trash. I pulled nails, swept gypsum, and pulled yet more sheet rock. A screaming, angry blood blister told me I had finally had enough and I retreated outside for some air. The water leak had been fixed so we could turn our water on. Hands now free of wet sheet rock, my eyes turned to my garden. My poor little pitiful garden. Longing for some outside time and the cold feel of the hose water on my feet, I began to clear our little garden patch of some "stuff" that had been parked there that didn't belong. I moved the lawnmower off the dirt, relocated some tomato cages that had long since been vacated by the tomatoes and began to rake. A lot of temporary "plants" had taken up residence in my little garden but over in the corner, where the water gets to, are two of the heartiest basil plants I believe I have ever seen. No, the leaves aren't big, but these plants keep on living. Sometimes they have looked like they were one day away from going completely to seed but we pull the seeds back, give them some water and food and they spring back to life. I feel like those little basil plants. Despite what it would appear is going on around them - the junk, the weeds, the discarded objects who have yet to find their way to a dumpster or curb - they have a will. And when I, the gardener, come along and tend the garden, clear away the weeds, pull the seeds and trim the dead leaves, rake and water suddenly those are not two little forlorn basil plants struggling for life but a precious creation that continues to grow and thrive from loving care. My life is not without weeds, discarded objects that need to find a way to the curb or junk. The garden of my heart is tended by the One who sees the obvious but can look inside to see a precious creation that longs to grow and needs to be tended. I am a neglectful gardener and I am so thankful that our God is not. He knows that life happens and things about me get neglected. But when I allow Him to, He will see to the needs of my life and my heart. He restores my soul. (Psalm 23). Jesus said that He was the Vine and we are the branches and that if we would abide in Him, we would bear much fruit.

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." (John 15:1-8)

I long to be like the basil in my garden. I long to be a creation in God's garden that surrenders to his pruning and that others will see the touch of the Master's hand in the garden that is my life.

"Precious Father - I pray that you would see beyond the junk and the weeds of our existence, that you would pour your living water on us and that you would touch our lives that we would bear the fruit of the sacrifice you made for us, by giving your Son to die for us."