Sowing and Growing A Personal Garden

Sowing and Growing Personal Garden's of Pea's, Squash, Lettuce, Turnip's and Thyme

Life is like a garden that we can plant at any time of the year or in any circumstance. The Bible says in Isaiah 58:11. "The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will become like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Now, put on your overall's and get into your gardener mentality.

Remember, our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.

After the pea's comes squash…squash gossip, squash indifference, squash grumbling and squash selfishness. Concerning gossip, remember that silence is often misinterpreted but never misquoted. Indifference is checking out. Passion is checking in. Don't let indifference squash your passion. Grumbling is verbal leaking to the outside things that are on our inside. Grumbling creates a verbal pollution bigger than that spewing well of the coast of Louisiana. Squash it, put a cap on it, and it stops polluting. Finally, squash selfishness. Maturity is discovering that the world doesn't revolve around us.

Next are four rows of lettuce…let us be faithful, let us be kind, let us be patient, and let us really love one another. Making commitments generates hope but keeping commitments generates trust. Trust is like a rope that connects one person to another. Then let us plant kindness. Baz Luhrman says: "Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours." Patience is an incredible thing to plant. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.

Don't forget to plant love right where you live with your neighbors, friends, family, and community. Those in need…need a friend in deed. American politician Andrew Holmes said: "There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up." Thomas Dreier said, "You cannot add to the peace and good will of the world if you fail to create an atmosphere of harmony and love right where you live and work."

Now, let's plant three rows of turnips. Turn up for church meetings, turn up for service, and turn up to help one another. Someone wrote a story called, My Drug Problem. "I had a drug problem when I was young. I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions no matter the weather. I was drug to the bus stop to go to school every weekday. I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults and teachers. Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say and think. These drugs are stronger than cocaine, crack or heroin and if today's children had this kind of drug problem the world would be a better place." Sometimes you have to turn up whether you feel like it or not.

Finally, let's plant four rows of thyme: time for each other, time for family, time for neighbors and friends and time for prayer. Don't let bad experiences stop you from planting time. No matter how good a friend is, they are going to hurt us every once and a while and we must forgive them for that for both our sake and theirs. A grudge is a heavy thing to carry. The most important things in your house are the people. Don't forget prayer. As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home every day.

Now, that's what I call a garden. Don't just go for it, sow for it, but we may have to grow for it.

Ed Delph

NATIONStrategy
www.NATIONStrategy.com
"People Who Empower People To Transform Communities'