The Not So Gardener

Allowing God to tend to our hearts

Spring has come upon us, and I'm sure many of us have dirt-covered hands, sunburnt shoulders and backs, and sweat dripping from our hair right into our ears. Full transparency, sweat dripping in your ears is the worst! I mean, horrible. Okay, I digress.

If I'm being honest, I don't know much at all about gardening. I know you need soil, water, and if you want it to look good: a thriller, filler, and spiller. My go-to is simple and low-maintenance full-sun plants. I do have a few house plants, but other than that, I am not that savvy. The interesting thing is, looking at beautiful plants is one of my favourite things to do. I love the botanical gardens, or just going on a walk through my neighbourhood, admiring the beauty.

As I was pulling weeds recently, I began to think about how, even though I love plants, I don’t enjoy taking care of them. With dirt-filled fingernails, mulch-marked knees, and sweat that could fill a bucket, I acknowledged that I really don’t care to learn the needs of different plants, nor do I want to do what it takes for them to flourish. Are any of you like me?

The Lord, however, enjoys every minute of tending to His garden. The pulling of tangled weeds doesn’t frustrate Him. The weeds that have popped back up overnight don’t disappoint Him. The watering of one plant every day, and the one right beside it every few days, puts a smile on His face.

John 15 says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (vv.1-2 ESV).

Tending to a garden keeps it alive, beautiful, and continuously producing the very thing we love and admire. Tending takes a lot of diligence and work, but if we abide in the Father, He is doing that work for us.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (John 15:4 ESV).

Abiding in the Father allows Him full access to tend to our hearts, souls, and minds. Even when we can’t see it, He’s working. If I could leave you with anything, I’d encourage you to stay connected and allow the Lord to tend to your heart. Your weeds don’t bother Him, and as His children, tending to us is His greatest joy. The Lord, the great Vinedresser, is excited and ready to tend to every area of your life. Let Him in.