The word “Grow” to a flower farmer or gardener brings up three topics to my
mind; soil, growth and pruning. Likened to life, spiritually, physically and mentally.
I think of the importance of the growing medium, soil, and then the germination
of a seed to become a plant and finally to a beautiful flower. Even fruit trees and
vegetables begin with a flower that will become the fruit of that plant or tree. And
lastly the cutting of that flower, plant or tree is called the pruning process. Come
with me as we explore these three facets of growing.
A parable about a farmer scattering seed in Mark 4:3-8 describes the importance
of healthy soil:
“A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of
the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on
shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was
shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep
roots, it died. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the
tender plants so they produced no grain. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and
they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a
hundred times as much as had been planted!”
After making sure my soil is rich and fertile, I plant the seeds. Then comes water
and sunshine. As the seedling germinates, it needs to be cared for daily. Weeds
grow as fast as our seedlings do. They want to choke out the little seedlings to
prevent their growth. When I garden and pull those weeds, I have always likened
it to sin and to things in our life that we allow to drain us--stifling our growth and
stealing our time. Our beauty lies within us just as the beauty is found within a
seed…which when watered along with sunshine, love, care, kindness and
forgiveness. It grows, we grow.
Lastly, the pruning process is sometimes painful, as we picture cutting the
flowers, branches and limbs, likened to our lives as trials and hardships,
overcoming fears, and the like. In cutting a flower or pruning a tree, it actually
sends a message to the plant to keep growing, keep producing flowers, to give
more life! For us this pruning of hardship builds character, endurance and actually
can help us bear good fruit and beautiful fragrances in our lives, if we allow it.
May the harvest of flowers and fruit be not only in our gardens, but in our lives.
I would love to challenge you to grow a garden, even if it’s a pot of flowers, herbs
or vegetables. Or it may be your children, as olive plants around your table (Psalm
128:3). Whatever you do, try to carve out a place of quietness and serenity to still
your thoughts, to cultivate faithfulness and to bring healing to broken places. May
you bear the fruits of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. May you continue to grow
into a beautiful blossom that brings glory to our amazing Creator God.
