Why Is the Garden of My Heart So Important?

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.

May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless

at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I Thessalonians 5:23 NIV

Today I am thinking about spending time in the garden of my heart and why the garden of my heart is so important. Why do I regularly need to be there? For me the answer is found in I Thessalonians 5:23. The garden of my heart is important because it is the place that I receive God’s love, comfort and peace. The garden of my heart is where I offer up to God my sacrifice of praise and worship. The garden is where God and I resolve my personal struggles and identify my sinful blame. Jesus is coming again and it is important that when he arrives I am found blameless in his sight.

It is assuring to know that if I confess my sin to God he is faithful to forgive me. The free gift of salvation is mine for all eternity. When I stand before God he will have no reason to let me into heaven other than the fact that I have accepted the free sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the only acceptable payment for my sin. At that point God does not see my sin; he only sees that I have been redeemed by Jesus.

Even though as a believer I have been forgiven, I still have a major concern. I must be acutely aware that every day I live offers new possibilities for me to sin. It is not the sin that separates me from God but it is the sin that can cause me to loose part of my heavenly reward. Each believer will be held accountable and judged for what he has or has not done. The garden is the place that I can allow God to search my heart and see if there be any offensive way in me. Psalm 139:23-24 NIV

“…each one’s work will become manifest; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” I Corinthians 3:13-15 NKJV

So God, what is it in my life that needs to be searched and examined? “May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Thessalonians 5:23 NIV

When we stand before God he will look at our soul. The soul is made up of our mind, our will and our emotions. The soul never dies. It is the place where God changes me. The soul is where my emotions fluctuate between all time highs and lows. It is from deep within my soul that I hear the call of God. The soul is where thoughts both good and bad float around waiting for us to either embrace and obey the good or banish the bad. This is why God has commanded us to “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” Philippians 2:5 KJV

God will also look at our spirit. Our spirit is the core of who we are. It is where our sin nature resides. Our spirit is the part of our life that Jesus covers with his blood when we accept him as our Savior. When we accept Christ the Holy Spirit enters our spirit and remains there to be our comforter, our strength, our peace, and our guide. The Holy Spirit also convicts us regarding the sin in our life. The recognition of our sin offers us opportunity to confess our sin and keep our hearts blameless. If we choose to ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit that rejection also becomes sin. The more we nurture our sin the farther away from God we walk. There is a huge danger that we can begin to love our sin more than we love God. We will also loose our influence for Jesus Christ. Although the Holy Spirit remains in us he is deeply grieved. Our heart becomes hard and conviction is often buried so far that we no longer feel it and we become a person who justifies our sins to fit our pleasures.

Our body is the shell that houses both the spirit and the soul. We are also warned not to abuse our body and we are told to protect our body. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
I Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV

Abiding in the garden offers opportunity for God to bring about eternal changes in my life that will bring him glory. It is now pretty obvious to me that the formula for bringing more glory to God, is less personal blame! I know that I am weak and frail. I know that I am selfish and prideful. I know I am prone to anger and I often fight for control. I also know that I have a deep need for the Holy Spirit of God to continue his sanctification process in my life every day until the day I die. This is a daily struggle between my will and God's will for me. It is only the Holiness of God that takes away my blame. I must allow the Holy Spirit to convict me of my sin. I must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to help me change my behavior when I cannot do in my own strength. I am pretty sure that I will not get it perfect in this life but I also know that spending time in the garden of my heart is where transformation happens. God may not expect perfection in this life but I do believe that he wants to see continual progress!


Questions:

When was the last time that you asked God to examine your heart?

Does it concern you that your heart may not be blameless?

Are you surprised to know that you are accountable for what you do and do not do after you become a believer?

What life changes are you willing to make in order to be found blameless before God?

Are you strengthened to realize that God has given you his Holy Spirit to help you in all your times of need by giving you the power to reject sin and the power to choose to respond like Jesus?

Do you find joy in knowing that Jesus is with you in this effort so that you may be presented holy and spotless without even one sinful wrinkle when you stand before the Father?


Prayer:

Dear God,

I stand amazed knowing that you love me so very much! It is your heart of love that reaches out to me every day. God I know that you do not want to withhold any good thing from those you love. It is because you love me that you do not want to see me suffer loss of reward when I stand before you. Thank you that you continue to call me to come higher. Search me God and show me the sinfulness in my heart. God I know that I have many opportunities to sin daily in word, in thought, and in deed. I pray that your Holy Spirit will continue to call and convict me of my sin each and every day. Forgive me this day for the times that I have grieved your Holy Spirit by ignoring his promptings. Forgive me for all that is in my life that does not honor you. Help me to remember that the choices I make in this life do count for eternity. Thank you for reminding me that my choices will be examined when I stand before you. God, I pray that you will daily take away my blame and replace it with the spotless glory of your love, mercy, and grace. For it is only selfless work, poured out in love, and bathed in your mercy and grace that will stand blameless before you.

In Your Son’s Name I Pray. Amen.

Why Are You So Afraid?

“A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Mark 4:37-41 NIV

The garden of my heart is not only a place of prayer. It is a quiet place that I can take my Bible and sit and read, contemplate God’s eternal words, re-read the words, and look for personal application. It is during personal application that I usually try to be quiet and still and allow God to teach me his truth.

This morning I grab my coffee, tuck my Bible under my arm and head for the garden. The spot that I choose to sit is surrounded by tall and stately deep red bee balm. Today the purple cone flowers are particularly beautiful. The Shasta daisies seem to nod their cheerful heads in a good morning greeting. The yellow yarrow is stunning. But my all time favorite is the delicate wisps of lavender blue Russian sage. I am delighted as I think to myself what an absolutely charming setting to be taught by God.

My teaching today begins in the book of Mark. I’m reading about a time that the disciples were taught by Jesus. However, the setting was not charming nor was it delightful! The disciples found themselves out in the middle of the sea when a storm came up. Not just any storm, Mark tells us that “a furious squall came up and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.” The disciples were terrified! To add to their hopelessness Jesus was calmly sleeping in the back of the boat.

Have you ever been in great distress and thought that Jesus was asleep on the job? I must confess that I have had that experience more than once. I have felt like I was drowning in a sea of despair and that Jesus didn’t give a rip! I too have found myself shaking Jesus’ shoulders and saying, “Wake up Lord! Pay attention! I’m not going to make it!”

To the disciples shock and amazement Jesus simply stood up and spoke three words. “Get the mop!” No, I don’t think so. Instead, with divine power Jesus spoke the command as only the creator of the universe could do. Jesus said, “Quiet! Be still!” In that same manner Jesus speaks to the wind and the waves of my fearful heart and says, “Quiet!” Be still!”

The disciples were dumbfounded! They had always observed Jesus meeting the needs of others, but on this day he met their need in a very personal way. For the first time they witnessed the divinity of Jesus Christ. They talked among themselves and asked, “Who is this?” They saw him not just a teacher who could perform healing miracles but they began for the first time to see him as God, the great “I Am” the One who controls the wind and the waves. If you think they were terrified before, now they were “triple - ripple” terrified. The hair on the back of their necks was standing up! Their hearts were beating out of their chests! They now had a new respect for Jesus. He went from teacher to Lord in a heartbeat.

God’s message to my heart this day is, “Paula, please don’t be terrified as to who I Am. I just want you to see me in my power and glory. I want you to respect me, but do not be afraid. I want you to love me not for what I can do for you but because of what I have already done for you. Please, “Quiet! Be still!” trust me. I’m not asleep. I know your every need and I am here to comfort and protect you. I will get you safely home. This disastrous boat of life will soon come to rest on the shore of heaven, but until that time simply trust me with all of your fears. Do not be terrified. I am here for you.

Questions:

Are you experiencing fear in your life?

Do you see Jesus as someone who helps others but not you?

Do you see Jesus as a teacher who lived 2000 years ago or do you see him as your personal Savior, the Lord of your life?

Do you believe that if you become quiet and still, God can calm the storm in your life and give you his peace?


Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for your teachings this day. Today I ask you to calm the winds and waves of my heart. Take away the disastrous blowing and tossing waves of fear. Jesus, I know that when fear consumes me I become paralyzed and cannot be used by you. Forgive me for the frightening feelings that I have deep within my heart. Take away the fearful thoughts of coming disaster. Thank you Lord. Help me to embrace great joy as I allow you to take control of my life. Help me to continue to trust you one day at a time for each and every detail of my life.

In Your Name I Pray. Amen

Looking Beyond the Fireworks

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men;
yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV

Who doesn’t like a beautiful display of fireworks? We wait in anticipation and then when the bright, brilliant explosions of color splash against the black velvet sky we ooooh and ahhhhh and ooooh and ahhhh some more. When my granddaughter, Abigail, was five years old she had become an old hand at fireworks! As we were sitting on the blanket watching the magnificent display and hearing the oooohs and ahhhhhs, she looked at me and said, “Mimi, you’d think these people had never seen fireworks before!”

I’m always listening to my grandchildren because they have amazing wisdom. In this case, her words reminded me that if I live long enough I will witness some pretty devastating fireworks in my life and in the lives of others. The fireworks I am writing about are not beautiful. In fact they are of a completely different nature. These fireworks involve circumstances of extreme heat that burns holes in the fabric of my life. These fireworks will be explosive emotions that hurt and words that kill my spirit. Almost always this kind of fireworks hits one unexpectedly. We are never prepared and we act as if we have never seen these fireworks before. But we have. We have all witnessed the devastation of the explosive fireworks of sin. We should not be surprised. We do not ooooh and ahhhh. No, our first response is that we cry and shake our fist in the face of God. We are angry and we are scared. I am so glad that God understands my heartbroken cries of fear and desperation. Jesus too experienced fear and dreadful desperation in the Garden of Gethsemane.

As a believer I may feel devastated at the onset of an explosive situation but after the news sets in I begin my road to recovery by placing my hand in the Sovereign hand of God Almighty.

My dad lived to be 92 and he often reminded all of the family that “life is a struggle from the cradle to the grave”. Yet, something within all of us wants to think that life is supposed to be perfect and that we will never have trouble or die! When the reality of life begins to set in around age 30 we begin to see that the perfect life is far from our reach. We wonder why a God of love would allow pain, suffering and struggling to be a part of our life. We long for and strive for perfection yet it never comes. We want to avoid at all cost anything that would interrupt our perfect plan for our happiness.

I believe that many times the desire to change our circumstances, the unrest we feel, the striving and the longing for perfection in this life is really the longing of our souls for the perfection that is to be found only through Jesus Christ. That longing for perfection will only become a reality in heaven. In the mean time those deep longings within us may be a very real suggestion that we are actually homesick for heaven. We don’t always recognize these feelings that resound within our heart but God’s Word says, “God has sat eternity in our hearts” and because of that we long for the restoration that comes from being set free from our sin and being made right with God. Unfortunately we look for that satisfaction in success, in our relationships, in our careers, in knowledge, and in financial gain. We also think that the fast track of parties and fun is where it’s at! We may try anything and everything to bring us pleasure. But in all these things we continue to come up empty hearted.

In the past, the very things that I thought would bring me happiness, once achieved, still left within me a void of emptiness, a spirit of unrest, an overwhelming sense of disappointment, and a stirring turmoil that would not be satisfied or stilled. But I have learned that absolutely nothing satisfies the deep longings of my heart but knowing Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and being in a daily personal relationship with him.

In this life God is perfecting us and preparing us for a life of perfection in heaven by allowing us to go through some very difficult circumstances. We may experience some very explosive fireworks that will send us reeling. When this happens we can fly off into utter desperation or we can choose to run to Jesus.

I believe that I am supposed to ask God for what I need. He invites me to speak to him as friend to friend. He wants to know my hopes, dreams and desires. I believe that I am to work hard to provide for myself to the best of my ability. But God simply asks me to put him first in my life and to trust Him when things do not turn out as I had hoped.

I am convinced that in the darkest brokenness of my life God will be there if I look for him. God may allow me to experience brokenness for a season but when he has used it for my eternal good it will be beautiful. To put it another way, my trials here on earth may make me homesick for heaven!

We are not insignificant people who do not matter to God. God’s love and concern for each of us goes beyond all measure. He sees each and every one of us and he knows our name. I am personally amazed that God cares enough about me to allow whatever is necessary into my life so that I will experience his transformation of my heart and mind.


Questions:

Are you experiencing some explosive situations in your life?

Are you dealing with them in fear or in quiet confidence that God’s is near?

Are you homesick for heaven?

What have you found in this world that truly makes you satisfied, at peace, and unafraid?

Are you still trying to have the perfect life?

Prayer:

Dear God,

Help me to understand that the perfect life is not what will bring me happiness. Help me to recognize that the longings of my heart will never satisfy me the way you can. Guide me and teach me. Give me your wisdom so I may see that when the fireworks of life surround me, you are my strength and refuge and a very present help in trouble. Yes God, I admit that the unrest I feel may possibly be that my heart is homesick for heaven. God I believe that through your Son, Jesus Christ, you want to restore me to the perfection that frees me from my sin. God I am looking forward to the day that I will step into your perfect heaven. Forgive me when I despise my trials. I know that you understand my deepest sorrow, but you simply want to comfort me in my loss and use my pain for my eternal good. Thank you for loving me enough to change me from the inside out.

In Your Son’s Name I Pray. Amen.

Passing the Torch of Faith

Today’s Post is in loving memory of my brother-in-law,
Raymond Gostowski
July 8, 1921 – June 24, 2011
Ray was a man who carried and passed a blazing torch of faith.

“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely

so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen

or let them slip from your heart as long as you live.

Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”

Deuteronomy 4:9 NIV

I have experienced that the Garden of My Heart is where my spiritual growth takes root. However, today I am thinking that it is outside the garden that my faith is lived out. All those I rub shoulders with outside the garden are individuals that are influenced either for or against Jesus Christ by what they observe happening in my life. But today my immediate family and my extended family are my greatest responsibility. It would be a tragedy if I were to minister to the entire world and neglect those that God has specifically given me.

I personally was blessed to have godly parents. I have fond memories of my mother sitting at the kitchen table reading her Bible and praying. All through out the day she laced life lessons with Biblical truth. Her greatest desire was for her family to know and serve Jesus Christ. My father was a pillar of faith as I observed him struggle with providing for our family. Dad read his Bible regularly. He prayed before meals and sometimes I would be awakened in the night and hear him praying for his family. One of my treasured possessions is a small hymnal that Dad would sing from in the evening. Now as I look through that little song book I see check marks next to all of his favorite songs. The lyrics to most of those songs spoke of God’s faithfulness and love. You see, my parents lit a torch of faith and passed it on to all six of us children.

A spiritual heritage is something that I never want to take for granted. The fact is that it is my responsibility to take the torch of my spiritual heritage and pass it on. My greatest fear is that I will not fan the flame of this torch and it will get weaker. Consequently, when I pass it on to my children it will be a dimmer light. This can happen to any of us when we allow the necessities, pressures, and pleasures of life to fill up our days until there is precious little time left for God.

If I allow the flame to diminish I am sending a message to my children that faith in God is important but not the most important thing in life. Consequently, when it comes time for me to hand the torch to them the torch will have become dimmer. If my children do not fan the flame and they too ignore and neglect God then when it is time for them to pass the torch to their children they may find themselves with a torch that barely has a flicker. Of course, with only a flicker of a flame there is a good chance that when the torch is handed off to the next generation the torch will go completely out!

If you are a first generation Christian and you have not been privileged to have a Christian Heritage do not loose heart. The good news is that you are the first to light the torch and to pass it on. What a blessing and a privilege you have. What a responsibility and honor to lead a new family line of believers.

God’s Word reminds us, “Know therefore that the Lord you God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.” Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV

I am reminded every day that I am not where I am by accident. God has guided me every step of my journey. It is the prayers of each generation that fuels God’s love and compassion for the next generation. I want to take hold of God’s promise that he will bless my children, my grandchildren, my great-grandchildren and my great-great-grandchildren, and on an on for a thousand generations. When I pass my torch of faith I want it to be blazing!

Questions:

Are you a first generation Christian?

Do you have a faint flickering spiritual heritage?

Do you have a blazing spiritual heritage?

If you are a believer you are holding your family’s torch of faith in your hand.
What was the condition of the flame when you received your torch?

Is your torch’s flame in the same condition it was in when your received it or is it now blazing brighter, has is it gone from blazing to bright, is it flickering, is it dim, or has it gone out?

Do you desire to fan the flame on your torch so that it will burn brighter as you pass it on to the next generation?

Prayer:

Dear God,

In all honesty I have to say that my flame could be brighter. Life and selfishness offers me so many opportunities to set my torch in the corner and neglect fanning the flame. Satan desires to distract me in any way that he can so that when it is my turn to pass the torch of faith it will be dimmer. Father, protect me from distractions that take me away from you. Help me to make the choice to put you first in my life and then go about my responsibilities. Teach me God how I can lace life lessons with Biblical truth all through the day. Make me a silent example as I live a life of faith before my family. Forgive me God for making my priorities about me instead of you. God help me to seek you with my whole heart and say without hesitation that you are at the top of my list. I’m yours God, no matter what happens I’m in! God, when I pass my torch of faith to my children I want it to be blazing!

In Your Son’s Name I Pray. Amen.

A Father Who's a Cut Above the Rest

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God – “ John 1:12 NIV

Today is Father’s Day and immediately I am thinking about my own father, who loved God and exhibited a strong faith in God in all circumstances. He may not have been the best father in the world but by no means was he the worst. In fact he was a pretty wonderful Daddy. The bottom line was and still is, he was my father and I loved him in spite of any imperfections.

My husband is also a father to two children, and in my opinion he is a wonderful father. I’m sure, (just like me, as a mother,) he would like some “do-overs” but life does not afford us that luxury. You see, we get handed those bundles of pink and blue at the hospital and we don’t know what to do with them. It is a day by day learning process. When a man becomes a father he is not only expected to provide for his children, he is also responsible for their well being, emotional maturity, spiritual growth and development, health, education, and discipline. Not to mention, the “being there” at every activity. The ideal father is also responsible for providing family fun, having a listening ear, and an understanding and agreeable heart. Being a perfect father is very challenging! No, my children’s father was not the best father, nor was he the worst. He is however, a wonderful father.

You see, fathers are not perfect! Especially in their children’s eyes there seems to be plenty of room for improvement. Yet most of us need to step back and take a hard look at not what our fathers did with us and for us, but rather who they are down deep inside. If you have a father who is or was a man of integrity then you are blessed. If your father loves or loved God and exhibited a strong faith in God then you are double blessed! Try looking deep into his soul and discover what a wonderful man he really is. Discover his amazing character traits that make him a man of great value and worth.

I am sad to say that many fathers are mean and cruel, angry and abusive, lazy and irresponsible, drill sergeants and dictators. Obviously, these men should have never been fathers in the first place. Having a father like that makes it extremely hard to put your faith and trust in our Heavenly Father. If your image of what “a father” looks like is based on an abusive father then your image of God may be distorted and clouded.

But today I want to think about my Heavenly Father, who is a cut above the rest. None of the mistakes of our earthly fathers are found in him. He is completely loving, a rock of stability, a shelter in a storm, a dependable provider, a trustworthy friend, a promise keeper, a faithful father, a father who neither slumbers or sleeps, a father who hears and listens, a father who protects and guards, and a father who looks after your eternal good. Our Heavenly Father is available twenty-four-seven! He even allows me to call him “Abba Father” which means – “Dear Daddy”.

On this Father’s Day I want to give thanks for my own wonderful, less than perfect father. I want to give thanks to the father of my children who is amazing in every way, yet less than perfect. And I want to give thanks to my Heavenly Father who is many cuts above the rest. I guess God allows us to see the imperfection in our earthly fathers so that we can be in utter awe of our perfect Heavenly Father!


Questions:

Are your memories of your father good or bad?

Has this affected how you view God?

Do you see that God is a cut above all others?

Have you accepted Jesus Christ?
If so, you have the right to be called a child of God and call him your Father.

Are you amazed at how truly perfect and wonderful your Heavenly Father is?


Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for allowing me to be called your precious child. Today I am amazed that I have the good fortune of having a truly perfect and wonderful Heavenly Father. God help me this day to ______________ (love, appreciate, forgive) my own father. I pray God that you will call fathers to be men of faith and integrity. Help fathers to reflect the godly qualities and attributes that are found in you. Forgive my negative thoughts about my own father. Help me to look deep inside his heart and see all the good that you have placed there. Father, bless my father this day and keep him safe and in your care. For all fathers who do not know you Lord, I pray that they will seek and find you.

In Jesus Name I Pray. Amen

Courageous and Contagious Faith

“But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed,
but of those who believe and are saved.”

Hebrews 10:39 NIV

Today I am excited because I am going to plant a rose garden! This rose garden is going to be a beautiful place for reflection. God continues to bring to my mind individuals who have unknowingly blessed me by their courageous faith. In my rose garden I want to plant a beautiful rose bush for each one of those remarkable people.

The design for this garden will be circular, symbolizing a continual faith that does not end even when attacked by the winds of adversity. The garden will have a bench for reflection. Each rose bush will be selected to reflect the life of the courageous person that has modeled faithfulness to me. This beautiful rose garden is intended to be a place where in the future when I feel mistreated or overcome with sorrow myself, I will come and sit and reflect remembering my Christian friends and loved ones, those who when their lives began to crumble they still trusted God for his sustaining grace and exhibited a faith in God that is both courageous and contagious.

One of the first rose bushes I will plant will be a beautiful peach rose for Kathy. In her forties she was struck down with cancer and battled this nightmare for many years. Kathy’s life ended at an early age, leaving a husband she loved and two sons. Her faith remained strong to the end. She prayed for healing that did not come, yet continued to trust the Healer in her long struggle with cancer.

Next to Kathy’s rose bush I want to plant a beautiful red rose that will signify the love that Rick had for Kathy. Rick was much too young to be a widower. It was agonizing for him to watch Kathy struggle with her pain and suffering. Yet he told me more than once that he found his strength in the Lord.

For my friend Pat, I will plant yellow roses to signify our friendship. Pat lost both her husband and her sixteen year old son in a tragic automobile accident. In her forties, Pat was left to raise two small girls alone. Pat told me that she would never be thankful for her loss but she was thankful to God for the person that she has become as a result.

For my friend Beth I will plant a miniature red rose bush. Beth is not very tall on the outside but on the inside she is becoming a giant of faith. Beth recently became a widow at an early age. Her husband died unexpectedly after what she believed to be a successful heart surgery. Beth was left with a family business to sell, financial concerns and a broken heart. After my last visit with her she was praising God for all of the many ways that God had provided for her during this time of loss and grieving.

Next I will plant a peaceful pure white rose bush for Dale. Dale suffered a brain tumor and as a result was eventually confined to a wheel chair and was living in a nursing home. Dale was very much aware of all he had lost. Yet he seemed to be at peace. He encouraged others, and always had a smile on his face or a funny story to tell. Before Dale died he had a deep hunger to see his Savior.

I am also planning to plant a beautiful delicate pink rose for Pam. Even though her marriage was in a seemingly miserable heap of sorrow, she was able to reach out to God and find strength to forgive and be faithful to her marriage vows. Because of her faithfulness, God has brought healing to her heart and to her marriage as well.

I must now be on the lookout for a very special rose. I want to find a bush whose branches gracefully bend to the ground. This bush will be for Kay. Kay is an amazing woman who has had numerous back surgeries and lives in constant pain. Kay walks stooped over with the help of a walker. For Kay, I am looking for a sweet smelling rose that will always remind me of Kay’s smiling face. Kay is in constant pain yet, never quits! She drives a car, attends Bible Study, sings in the choir, shops, goes to swim classes and always praises Jesus! The sweet aroma of Jesus is always being emitted from her life that is centered in Jesus.

I do not have time or space to tell the amazing stories of faithfulness exhibited by Ted and Barbara, Don and Betty, Earl and Carol, Sherrill, Vera, Phyllis, Anna, Karen, Lucille, Barb and Jim, Rex and Joyce, and Joe. I have by no means exhausted the list of all those who have been wonderful examples of faithfulness to me. But for lack of space I cannot mention everyone. But know that I will be planting a rosebush for each of them as well. This rose garden project is going to take me a lifetime as I continue to add new bushes. This garden will forever remain a place of beauty in the garden of my heart.

Through the example of others I have been strengthened and blessed by their faithfulness. I do not desire to bloom where they have been planted, but when my time comes to join them in the rose garden I pray that the God of all love, mercy and compassion will grant to me the same contagious courage to remain faithful.

Questions:

1. Have you experienced or are you experiencing great loss?

2. Where are you in your struggle?

3. Do you choose to be bitter or better?

4. Do you know others who have lost a great deal yet somehow exhibit faithfulness to God and courage in their trial?

5. Do you find courage when you realize how faithful God is and has been to others?

Prayer:

Dear God,

I pray for all the people I know who are sinking in the sea of despair at this very moment in time. I pray that they will give you their anger, their questions, their pain and their sorrow. Help them to choose to embrace inner strength and peace that can come only from you. I am also praying that you will march before their eyes the lives of others who have walked faithfully and courageously holding tightly to your hand of sustaining grace. I pray that we who are in need will draw strength from these contagious examples of faith. Thank you for these amazing examples of faithfulness for it is by their example that you are being glorified!

In Your Son’s Name I Pray. Amen.