Mom Heart Moments #138

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

EVERY SPRING, I find myself itching to get my fingers into the soil to plant something! I don’t want to be too hasty, for fear I will lose precious seedlings in this unpredictable Colorado climate. One fall I added about fifty to sixty tulip bulbs to my front yard, covered them with mulch and a prayer, and waited hopefully for spring. Each year they seem shy, barely poking their heads out of their protective leaves for the first warm week or two, but soon I have a colorful display with which to make beautiful bouquets.

As a gardener, you become a big part of giving life to a garden. Much work goes into it, from preparing the soil to planting the bulbs or seeds, watering everything as it grows, pulling weeds, pruning, nurturing, protecting . . . and the list goes on! All of this and more is needed to maintain life. What a huge amount of energy and responsibility it takes to maintain a living garden!

Gardening is a lot like our relationship with the Lord. When I think of the words that Jesus spoke in John 15:1-8, I understand that we need a Master Gardener in our lives. Jesus says He is the true vine and His Father is the gardener; we are unable to produce fruit on our own merits —just as my bulbs and tomatoes cannot thrive without the help of my gardening skills.

This spring, while out in my garden, I will continue to be in awe of the correlation between gardener and garden, God and mankind. I am so thankful that I have a Master Gardener in my life! I need Him every day to help me to grow, learn, and produce the fruit that glorifies Him.

Do you garden? Ask the Lord what task may need to be done in the garden of your soul today.