Rose Gardens

I spent a few hours this morning over at my folk’s house, puttering around their garden.  They have always had green thumbs and have spent much of their free time in and around their front and back yards.  Now in their golden years, they are not able to do as much as they could before, and I have taken over the task of tending to their precious plants and outdoor living areas.  They get to enjoy the scenery without having to perform the labor.

I must be a chip off the old block, because I also love to work in the garden.  This morning’s activities centered mainly around their rose garden.  Roses are beautiful plants, but they require a fair amount of maintenance if you want them to stay green, pest free, and in consistent bloom.  Working my folk’s roses is almost like painting a picture for me.  Each week during the summer months I go through and trim off the wilted blooms, shape the new growth, remove any yellow or spotted leaves and then spray or fertilize as needed.  I always look forward to the following week, so that I can regale at the results of my handiwork.  I like to take the time to enjoy each bush’s individual beauty as well as the overall rainbow of colors, shapes and sizes that the entire garden displays.

I have a feeling that this is the same way that God looks at us.  We are kind of like my folks roses and He is the Master Gardener tending to each of His tender plants.  Isaiah 64:8 says that we are the clay and God is the former (or farmer), and that we are His handiwork.  And just like a well producing rose garden requires a lot of work, so do we, if we are to function as the finely tuned creations that He designed us to be.

So, the next time you feel like your life is in the middle of a construction zone, relax and know that it’s just your Heavenly Master Gardener perfecting, beautifying and shaping the precious plants in His garden.  Picture Him sitting back, in the cool of the day, enjoying the individual as well as the overall view of the rainbow of colors, shapes and sizes that His entire creation displays.  Who knows… Your bloom just might be the one that stands out to Him today!  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”


PS:  Sorry that I was not able to post yesterday.  Blogger seemed to be down all afternoon.