“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.”
John 15:1
What better assurance of God’s love than to know that He is the gardener who plants the seeds and tends our growth. When I am in my garden, I feel closer to God than at any other time. It gives me great joy to plant a bulb, a shrub, a vine or a tree…to dig in the warm soil and position a plant so that it will get the necessary sun and water to grow. It brings to mind the first garden and the seeds of mankind.
No vine or any other plant can grow without the proper nutrients from the soil, the warmth of the sun (or protection of the shade), and the water from the rain.
God came to us as His Son to tend His garden. When He prunes and nurtures us, we bear fruit around us by spreading the teachings of Jesus, the vine. As I walk in my garden, I see the tender new growth of daffodils bursting forth. As we follow the vine and walk with Jesus, we spread His love and kindness everywhere.
During this season of Lent, take a moment to observe the wonder of a tree silhouetted against the sky and how it grew from a tiny seed in God’s garden.
Thank you, Lord, for your tender, loving care and for reminding us to spread it around.
Martie Parch