We're Gardeners

 

Wildflowers and weeds grow freely, fast, and without any care. We just have to look at our gardens and lawns to see that. Whether the seeds land by the wind or are dropped by the birds, once they hit soil, they grow without any care. Our gardens, lawns, and flower beds are different. We plant the seeds, we water and feed them, and we care for them as they grow into beauty and usefulness.

Some of us, however, don’t have green thumbs, and we leave the lawns, gardens and flower beds to others. But, as men of faith, we are all gardeners.

·         Our garden plot lies within the hearts and minds of those around us—our family, friends, co-workers, strangers.

·         Our seeds are our words, actions, and deeds we say and do around those people in our lives.

·         Our gardening tools are the Word, the example we consistently set, and our obvious love for the Lord.

·         Our fertilizer is our passion, love for others, patience, and gentleness we use in growing the seeds we have planted.

Christ chose 12 very ordinary, and in some cases quite jaded, men to be His gardeners among all men during His life and after His death. Their job was to plant, care for, and grow the seeds of Christianity. Their garden plot—the world. The obvious irony of what He did when He selected those men, was that they were just like all of us—ordinary, in some cases troubled, with some not the most nice of men before He planted the seed in them.

We don’t have to be anything special to be a Gardner for God. We don’t have to have unblemished pasts, nor do we have to live the perfect life—because we can’t. We just have to have the desire to keep growing ourselves as we use all that is available to us as gardeners to spread His word among men—one, by one, by one. Our gardening is simply a people to people thing.

Bottom Line Thought: So, Johnny Appleseed, are you working in the Garden for God?