Musings from the Garden...

This past week, I have been in my gardens a lot,

weeding, pruning, and giving them their

summer look...

and I've had alot of time to muse...

and ponder...

and pray...

From Acorn to Oak Seedling

( I saw this video the other day)



and I thought of how painful it is to be planted

as a seed and then die so we can grow into

what God intended us to be.

That old nature, our sinful selves, just wants to be

in the way and will be as alive and flourishing as we

allow it to be!

As I weeded and pondered,

I happened upon my daisies that I had

transplanted a year or two ago.

They are just bursting into bloom,

and from my kitchen window, they bring

much joy for my eyes to feast upon...

They grew from the moment I transplanted them.

I knew it from the way they didn't wither and shrivel up

but stayed green and slowly at first, and then more rapidly,

spread their roots and increased.

This month marks the 13th anniversary of my

choosing to follow Jesus.

From the moment I was born again,

I chose to be all in.

I determined that whatever God would ask of me,

wherever He would take me,

whatever I needed to change,

it was going to be all or not at all.

Sometimes I have struggled, yes,

and I have halted sometimes too long 

on a thing that clearly was selfishness on my part,

but I have never backed down on that decision

to be all in.

It has proven to be a very good choice to make,

because the longer the I live this way,

the shorter the list of things I need to get right with God,

and the more abundant life I experience in Him.

And the longer I live this way,

the more free and peaceful is my life

and the life of my loved ones.

I thought of this as I went on one of my many errands

to be the Farmer's chauffer this week from field to farm.

He asked me kindly one morning if I would have time

to come and pick him up yet again that day.

And I flexed my heart to include yet another change

of plans to my busy day.

Then I remembered...

not too many years ago,

this kind of request would have

irked and irritated me.

But now, thanks to the pruning and

calling of my Lord to come higher

in my calling as a Farmer's wife

and daughter of the King,

I no longer am irked...

and I am, in fact, delighted to bless my

hardworking Farmer in any way I can.

And we gained a bonus:

much time this week to share hearts

on our little jaunts to and from the field.

What a delight!

The Bible is clear that fruit

comes after obedience and

yieldedness to the

Master Planter and Pruner.

It hurts like crazy because

we start off not recognizing that

pruning and planting at first,

then maybe sometimes we

struggle to yield to the Lord's

skillful hands,

and sometimes we have this

illusion that our life is still

our own.

But every sincere heart that truly seeks Him

gets the royal treatment of the Master Gardener.

And then there is serious work done,

and watering that happens,

and fruit that results...

to bring Him glory.

I use my own life as an example of these thoughts,

not because I am more special or better than anyone else,

but because I want to shout out to the world

that JESUS LIVES

and He lives within my heart!

I am so thankful that I decided to follow Jesus

no matter the cost.

I experience joy that no one can take away.

Life is hard.

It is not easy at all.

But I am never alone and I always have direction,

thanks to the Master Gardener in my life.

My advice, looking back over the few years

I have walked with Him in the Garden of life,

is to get all in and stay that way 

all the days that He gives you breath.

For His glory.

To accomplish the thing He wants to do

from your life that He planned

since before the world began...

I am excited to walk with this wonderful

Gardener and wonder with complete confidence

in Him what He has planned for me

through all the changing scenes of the rest of

my life...

Love and blessings to all,

Marcia