Finding the Right Spot

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28 NIV

There are many places you can run to in the garden. The first place you may be inclined to run to in the garden is the wishing well. There have been times that I was so sure that Jesus would be there ready to grant my wish. Of course, he was always there but then, to my surprise, he would take me by the hand and say “walk with me.”

In my garden there are also many wonderful paths to follow with beautiful flowers and ferns growing along the pathway. As Jesus and I would walk in the garden, I would continue to pour out my heart out and beg and plead like a little child for the solution that I wanted. Then Jesus would gently say, “Sit with me awhile.”

Jesus would lead me to the bench found under the shade of the big oak tree in the middle of my garden. It was here that he did the talking and I listened. I needed this time to learn what was in his heart concerning me. Here Jesus explained to me that I needed to “wait.” While waiting Jesus has taught me how to trust his will, his plan, and his purposes.

On another day, in the garden Jesus and I may walk to the reflection pool. At the pool I look in and see that Jesus’ reflection is identically that of his Father. He encourages me to gaze into the pool. He asks me, “Paula, who do you see?” I replied, “Well me of course.” Jesus then begins to teach me, “Paula, when you look into the reflection pool you need to see me.” “Please understand that when you get the focus off of yourself and your problems you will then see and reflect me.” Jesus further explains that if I will do that, others will look at me and they will see him. Imagine that, Jesus’ reputation is either damaged or glorified through my actions and responses. You see, Jesus reflects the Father and his will, I am to reflect Jesus and his will.

After Jesus has prepared my heart on just the right day, he will lead me to the bridge that stands over the lake of trust, and he will now ask me to jump off the bridge of faith. He says, “You must do this alone but I will be in the water to catch you in my arms. You must trust me.” This is huge for me because I don’t even know how to swim! When I finally get up my nerve and make the plunge, I emerge from the water drenched but safe in his arms of faithfulness and love.

The last place in the garden where Jesus takes me to is the fountain of peace and joy. He invites me to drink freely. After I drink my thirst is satisfied and I am equipped to leave the garden because my mind is at peace and my heart if full of joy. As I leave the garden I have the sweet assurance that even though I leave the serenity of the garden the Gardner never leaves me!

Every time I enter the garden I find myself in the appropriate spot that is perfectly suited for that day. It may be at the wishing well, or on the pathway or the bench, it may be on the bridge of faith, the lake of trust, or at the fountain of peace and joy. All of those places have specific purposes for me. None of those locations are wrong and Jesus is always more than happy to meet me at my place of need.


Questions:

Where are you in your garden?

Where do you need to go next?

Has there been a time that you have found peace and joy in the garden?


Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for always meeting me in the garden. You always know exactly where to find me. The location is not important to you. It is simply the fact that I came to you in the garden that brings you joy. Help me Lord to find my strength in you. Give me courage and desire to move on to the next beautiful spot in the garden where you will lovingly meet and teach me your ways.

In Your Name I pray. Amen.

The Gardner Has a Message for You

photo by Amy Z.

"I have loved you with an everlasting love;

I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt,”

Jeremiah 31:3-4 NIV

I have been a Christian for some fifty plus years. It has been a wonderful journey. Today I am taking a moment to walk in my garden and celebrate that God loves me with and everlasting love. Inside that love package is a tender kindness that is patient and gentle. God has been both compassionate and merciful to me. His grace has been amazing!

Today I am still ecstatic about my relationship with Jesus. He continues to reveal his truth to me and grant me his wisdom for living my life for his glory. To be perfectly honest, some days the path is bumpy and I have been known to stub my toe on an unsuspected rock in the garden. There have also been times that I have literally fallen to my knees in despair. But the truth is there is no safer place to be than in the garden alone with Jesus. There is no greater constant in my life than knowing that when I call on Jesus he will be there. He has never disappointed or failed me a single time. When life gets hard I can count on my faithful Jesus to be there for me working in all things for my eternal good.

I am excited about my relationship with Jesus and I don’t ever want to loose my enthusiasm for him. Today as I walk in my garden, I want to choose to count my blessings, rejoice in my salvation, smell the roses, enjoy God’s creation, and give thanks even for the difficult situations in my life, because I know that even in times of brokenness God will continue, to use those times for my good and his glory.

The Gardner’s message to me and you this day is “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” I know that when life knocks me off my feet, and when my heart breaks into a million pieces Jesus has promised me that, “I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt.” His promise is the same for you.

So, today as I walk in the garden of my heart, there are beautiful petals that have been sprinkled along my pathway. Each petal reminds me of all of God’s incredible blessings to me and how he has loved me with an everlasting love. In love and kindness God continues to build me up. I am so glad that even in the most difficult times of my life, when it seemed that all I loved was torn away, God rebuilt my life and gave me his joy. Happiness is fickle and fleeting but God’s faithfulness remains forever.

Questions:

What do you and Jesus have to celebrate?

When was the last time you experienced Jesus’ everlasting love and kindness?

How has God been faithful to you in the past?


Prayer:

Dear Lord,

“I have loved you with an everlasting love.” What a fantastic verse! God as you know, I live in a world where all love is not lasting. Hearts are breaking everyday and as a matter of fact, I have had my heart broken. I have come to see that a love without kindness is no love at all and cannot stand. Thank you that your love will always be kind and lasting. Thank you God that I can always count on you to rebuild me even if another tears me down. Today, I want to celebrate the amazing relationship that I have with you.

In Your Name I pray. Amen.

God's Seasonal Plans

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

I was in my twenties, the spring of my life, when I first started going to the garden. I must admit that those times were few and far between. Most of the time I simply wanted to present God with my wish list. I was too busy having fun to spend very much time in the garden.

In my thirties we started our family and for sure I was way too busy to be in the garden! I didn’t even have time to water my house plants! The kids and that NEVER EMPTY laundry basket kept me hopping and I was also totally exhausted from lack of sleep. During that season of my life the garden was basically a place where I only went to cry for help or to ask for protection for my family.

The summer of my life arrived in my forties and I needed answers. So I began to spend more time with God in the garden. These years were full of questions. Did prayer really work? Was God really concerned about me? Why did God allow bad things to happen to good people? Why do Christian people disappoint us? Why can’t I be perfect in my obedience to God?

Then before I knew it the fifties had arrived and brought a major change to my life. We moved from Illinois to Maryland leaving a whole bunch of family and friends behind. Although I was eager for the new experience, this move left me devastated. I had just lost my father, my daughter had left for college, and my hormones were doing weird things! If that was not enough, my husband began traveling weekly leaving me at home with a teenage son. In desperation I ran to God! This desert of loss and loneliness was more than I could bear. But it was during this isolation that God really met me in the garden and taught me amazing things. Because of my great need, I was finally driven to discipline myself to a deeper “quite time” in the garden with God.

As I entered the autumn of my life I was approaching my sixties God began to use my life to serve others. I began mentoring several women, and leading a women’s Bible study. When exhaustion set in God said that’s enough and for whatever reason, we moved to our beautiful home in North Carolina. The seclusion of this home provided the next season God had in store for me. God knew that I needed restoration and redirection that could only be found in solitude. God has had so many wonderful things to share with me during this time. I began to write not really knowing what God would do with the words he was giving me.

I do not know what God will do with the winter of my life or if I will even live to see those days, but if I do, I am confident that just like in all of the other seasons there will be a heavenly purpose and plan. Was I a better Christian in one season verses another? No, I don’t think so. I was simply a child of God who he was calling to the garden. There were times when God simply needed me to minister and care for my family. In another season I was desperate and God met my need. In yet another season God helped me to raise the bar in my own spiritual life, as I studied and prepared for teaching others. Then there was the rest and restoration that could only come to me in my season of solitude. God has graciously taught me that in everything there is indeed God’s perfect season. God alone knows the plans and purpose he has for us, plans to give us a hope and a future.

Questions:

What season in life are you in right now?

How are you reaching out to God?

How is God ministering and teaching you?


Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for every season of my life. Help me to discover the purpose that each season has held. I simply want to say thank you for being with me in my current season of life. Increase my awareness of you as I go through my day. Open my ears so I might hear your call, order my heart so I might obey. I pray that you will continue to teach me and prepare me for the next season of my life.

In Your Name I pray. Amen.

For Everything There is a Season

“There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:”

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

Every year my husband plants a vegetable garden and every year as fall approaches the produce gets smaller and the vines begin to wither and die. I dread the moment when the last tomato has been picked and eaten because that signals that yet another season is over for eating wonderful fresh vegetables.

This reminds me of the verse in Ecclesiastes that says, “There is a time and a season for everything under heaven.” I used to beat myself up because I couldn’t seem to get everything perfect all at the same time. The perfect wife, the perfect mother, the cleanest house, the prettiest garden, the thinnest body, the best hostess, the best Christian, and on and on it went! Then God showed me that perfection belongs only to heaven and that here on earth everything has a season.

It seems to me that some seasons of my life I have spent more time in the garden with God than at other times. I came to realize that Satan definitely wanted me to view those lean and infrequent times with God as spiritual failure, but God wanted me to know that my life would be a collection of changing seasons. God has shown me that in some seasons I had more desire for him. In other seasons I had more need for him, and in my busy seasons of life, the God of mercy and grace provided for me with a quick verse, a butterfly, a flower, a sunset, a casserole from a friend, a bag of clothing for my children, a song on the radio, a sermon, and a hard working faithful husband.

Each season of my life has become a precious pearl on a string around my neck. This necklace is a reminder to me that God has always been with me. God has loved me in every season of my life. In some seasons I have experienced prosperity, blessings, peace and joy. Other seasons of my life have experienced financial difficulties, personal loss, relational conflict, and lack of understanding.

Even with all of my mistakes, my busy responsibilities, and in the times of desperation, God has continued to love me in and through every season of my life. I believe that in any season of our life God is less interested in the quantity of fruit that is harvested from our garden, but is more concerned with the quality of the time that we have spent with him, in the garden of our heart. The quantity of fruit is God’s business, not ours.

God has an amazing way of taking even our smallest effort for growth and causing it to yield fruit for him. We may plant and we may water but it is God who gives the increase. I would like to paraphrase Psalm 1:3. “We are like a tree planted by a stream of water, a tree that yields fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, and what ever we do in his name he prospers.”

Questions:

Have you ever been discouraged because you wanted to spend time with God and you just couldn’t make it happen?

Have you carried guilt because of that?

Was that guilt from Satan or from God?

What season of life are you in right now?

Do you see any opportunity in your day to snatch a bit more time for God?

Is God in the process of moving you into a new season of life?


Prayer:

Dear God,

I thank you that you are always calling me to come to the garden. I also thank you that you have promised to meet me in my time of need. Today I need you to help me re-evaluate my schedule, my activities, and my season in life. Lord I don’t want to miss a single opportunity to seek your face, even if it’s only for five minutes. God if you are moving me into another season of my life show me my purpose and give me your wisdom for what is ahead. Help me to embrace wherever it is that you are leading me. Even if it is a season on sorrow I pray that I might find your sustaining peace and joy in the garden of prayer.

In Your Son’s Name I pray. Amen.

The Condition of the Soil

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23 NIV

Several of my friends have recently become grandmothers and are eager to share photos of their newest pink or blue bundle of joy! I do not have a new grandchild but I do remember sharing photos from day one of my two precious grandchildren and I continue to flaunt their photos to all who will look! As I looked at the photos of all those precious babies, I noticed that most of the little darlings are all in the same pose, sleeping sweetly. Needless to say, they are all adorable!!!

I find it hard to comprehend that deep inside that precious, sweet newborn is a heart and a mind that is capable of being anything but adorable. The truth is that if any child’s heart goes unchecked and ignored the pride, selfishness, anger and fear will accelerate to unbelievable levels of sin. That heart when it is old enough to understand will need a remedy. The only remedy that will be available is God’s forgiveness.

Today I am reminded that before I met Jesus my heart was in this same sinful condition. I was born that way. The garden of my heart was nothing more than a plot of sinful soil. The ground was covered with rocks and weeds. If anything good was to come out of my heart it would only be temporary and I would not be prepared to withstand the storms of life. The fact was that if something didn’t change, my heart would always stay in this sinful condition.

To my great joy I found Jesus Christ, The Master Gardner and invited him to take up residence in my heart. Jesus tills the soil taking great care to remove the rocks that hinder planting his seeds of truth. Jesus also works consistently in my life to get rid of the weeds of selfishness and sinful pride. One very deep rooted weed is my need to control my life. If any of these ugly weeds are allowed to stay they will eventually take over my garden.

Even today I am realizing that I must not neglect the soil in my heart’s garden. If I do it will become parched and dry and my heart will begin to split into desperation and hopelessness. The boulders of fear and anger will roll into my garden, waiting for an unguarded moment to trip me up. Without a doubt, the weeds of sin will always choke out my love for God. I must also work into my heart’s soil the nutrients that are found in scripture and prayer.

The condition of the soil in my garden is of utmost importance! I must also step aside and let the Master Gardner put into place the garden design that he has chosen uniquely for my life. In the past I have tried to garden alone but now I know that I must step aside and I must wait for God to show me what to plant and which plants are in need of special attention. It is God who shows me which weeds must be uprooted and thrown away so that my garden will flourish. I am beginning to eagerly anticipate what my heart’s garden will look like when God is finished. I know if I will trust God with my life and if I am obedient, it will be beautiful!

Questions:

Is your garden lacking the nutrients that are found in scripture and prayer?

Can you identify any boulders or weeds in your heart’s garden that need to be removed and uprooted?

Are you an independent gardener?

Have you learned that you need the help of Jesus, the Master Gardner?

What is Jesus currently encouraging you to remove from your garden?


Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Help me today to allow you to be the Master Gardener in my life. Help me to allow you to prepare the soil and please take away all that hinders spiritual growth in my life. Please show me where the deep rooted sinful weeds such as, anger, pride, resentment, selfishness, fear, and impatience are growing. Help me to allow you to remove those weeds from my heart’s garden and show me what you desire to plant in their place. Father, I invite you to begin the beautification process that is needed in my heart’s garden so that I might be a person of influence for you.

In Your Name I pray. Amen.

Inviting God into Your Garden

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,

I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

Revelation 3:20 NIV

Today just try to visualize that you are standing in the middle of your heart’s garden. Yuck! What a mess! It really doesn’t look like a garden; it actually looks more like a vast wasteland. There is not a single thing growing. Nothing has been planted. Therefore, nothing is blooming. You have been working all of your life to make this a beautiful place and it still looks like a forsaken piece of land.

Now imagine yourself standing there in the middle of the barren land that is supposed to be a garden. Frankly, you are a mess! You are dressed in filthy, dirty, worn out work clothes. You have sweat on your forehead and smudges of dirt on your face. There are stinging blisters on your hands and you are bent over because your back is killing you. You are next to tears. No, wait, I think you are crying. After all of your endless day after day work efforts you still get absolutely nothing! You are standing there holding a shovel in your hand and on the shovel is written the words “self effort.” You try one last time to dig into the hard soil and when you do you hit a rock and the shovel handle breaks in two pieces. You cry out, “that’s it God, where are you…I need help!”

You hear a noise and you look up. Jesus is leaning across your garden gate waving his nail scared hand as he attempts to get your attention. He looks calm and collected. He finally speaks and when he does he simply says, “I’ve been standing here all the while, why didn’t you ask for help sooner? Why are you trying to make this a beautiful garden all by yourself?” Then he says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 NIV You then start walking toward Jesus and you say, “forgive me Jesus for ignoring you and rushing ahead of you with my plans for my garden.” You open the gate to your garden and Jesus, who is a Master Gardner steps into your barren garden. He has a huge grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye. He rolls up his sleeves and say, “we better get started, we have lots of work to do. Don’t worry, it will be beautiful!”

How well I remember the days before I started depending upon Jesus to manage my affairs. Before I began to trust him with my life and the lives of all those I loved. It was an ugly time of fear and frustration. You see the one you visualized in the garden could be you, but I know for a fact that at one point in my life it was me. God and I still work the garden of my heart, together every day. God has planted seeds that have bloomed into beautiful flowers of faith, hope and love. The Master Gardner has also trimmed my vines of service so that the branches would multiply and bear more fruit. He has pulled my personal weeds of pride, anger and selfishness. Trust me when I say that my heart is becoming a beautiful garden. Not only is my garden a place of sweet fellowship with Jesus, it is also a place where there is still much work to be done.

As I work side by side with the Master Gardner,

I am beginning to in image the possibilities for my heart’s garden!

Questions:

Do you ever remember standing in the barren garden of your heart?

What was it like when you looked up and saw the Gardner, Jesus?

What project are you and Jesus presently working on in your garden?

How do you enjoy working side by side with Jesus?


Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,

How I thank you that you stand at the door of my heart knocking. Sometimes the knock is so gentle and I am so preoccupied that I am hardly aware that you are there. Forgive me for not inviting you into my garden for every need and for every problem. But most of all forgive me for the times I have missed out on the joy and beauty that you want to bring to my garden. I invite you into the garden of my life today and every day. Please make my heart’s garden a place of beauty.

In Your Name I pray. Amen.