The Weekly Encourager - March 17, 2011 - Who Carries the Plants?

I don't consider myself a "green thumb," but I do enjoy growing things.  All my potted plants enjoy a summer vacation outside, but when I bring them inside in the Fall, I usually let the annuals just die naturally with the first frost.  Last Fall, however, I decided to save some volunteer impatiens to see if I could keep them alive indoors for a few weeks longer.  Since then I've been taking special care with them:extra water, plucking deadheads, rotating, etc.  To my surprise, they love their new spot and have flourished with all this personal attention.  They have provided me with so much joy, especially during the dark winter days.

From time to time I have had the privilege of supplying fresh flowers or plants for our church worship and fellowship space.  This past Sunday, as I arrived with the blooming impatiens, I thought about how God's care for us is like my careful protection of the impatiens all winter long.  When I show up at church, there is often some gentleman or another who offers to carry the flowers for me, but I usually decline.  I have noticed that when other people carry the plants, there are often blossoms or whole branches broken off in the process.  These kind folks have very good intentions, but they just don't know the plants as well as I do, and therefore are not as careful with them.  I know each branch of each plant and have watched its growth from the start.

God's fatherly care for His children is infinitely better.  He not only knows each and every hair on our head, He made it and caused it to grow!  (And for some of us, He caused them to fall out!)  Knowing each of us from our mother's womb, the Lord knows just where we are the most fragile, and He has made provision for that.  The song says,"He's got the whole world in His hands."  True, but those of us who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are in His hands in a more wondrous way.  He holds us with greater tenderness than a small child holds a flower, yet He commands the winds and the waves, and they obey Him.  What a comfort to know that no one, No One or Nothing, can snatch us out of His hand!

Christian, are you being carried along by a storm you did not expect?  He will not trust others to carry you, and neither should you.  God alone will transport His beloved ones safely home to the place of eternal blessed worship and fellowship.  There our golden fruit will reflect great credit to the Master Gardener, Jesus Christ.  If we persevere in this life, bloom in this pot, we will be a source of great joy to God and to all the saints and angels in heaven.  He will carry you; Trust in Him.

God is faithful,
j

Copyright 2011 Janet A. Marney