Friends
Call me the crazy gardener, but I love talking to my plants. Don’t worry about my sanity yet. The plants don’t talk back. However, as I putter around my garden, observing plant growth or enjoying the bright blooms, I find that those precious plants have some interesting stories to share. Sometimes, they even offer a testimony!
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“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Jeremiah 29:13 – NIV
When plants find their happy place, they grow, they bloom, they go wild. That’s what has happened with the clematis I planted in the triangle area next to my driveway. Two years ago, I added a second clematis to keep my sixty-year-old lavender clematis company. It’s a pretty pink, and it loved the springtime this year. My ancient purple clematis was not to be overshadowed by this youngster, blooming voraciously throughout the spring and summer before taking a break when the sweltering heat of late July hit.
Since these two clematis were so happy in that spot, I decided to add a third clematis last year. Sadly, this tiny toddler did not get off to a good start this season. In late March, we had a stretch of 20 degree nights after several weeks of warm sunny spring weather. Each of my clematis had put out a lush array of green leaves with just a hint of tiny buds emerging on the new growth. When I heard the frost advisory, my heart sank, fearing that I could not save my precious vines from the unwelcome chill.
Ever the determined gardener, I grabbed some old sheets and did my best to cover each trellis, pinning the sheets to the wire frame with clothespins. I must admit that those shrouded trellises were quite a sight, making my neighbors do a double-take! It looked like ghosts had invaded my garden! Ha!
My sheet protectors worked for the two larger clematis, the green leaves remaining healthy, and the buds seemingly un disturbed. But the newer, smaller plant didn’t fare so well. Despite my best efforts, one side of the vine suffered frost bite. I feared I would lose the whole plant, but as the days passed and the temperatures warmed, I could still see a hint of life on a small portion of the vine. Determined to give it my best shot, I offered the plant regular doses of Miracle-Gro and lots of verbal affirmation.
To my perpetual amazement, it worked. After several months of slow but steady growth, the plant took off, sending multiple new tendrils that erupted into beautiful white blooms with a dark purple center. I am ecstatic!
The other clematis seem to be done for the year, but not this little guy. It may be hot, but he is just getting started.
There is a testimony wrapped around that trellis, a testimony flowing through those tiny tendrils of a vine that refused to admit defeat. The odds were stacked against it. Its tender shoots seemed no match for the devastating chill of adversity that befell it. Yet, it didn’t give up. It dug deep, soaking up the fertilizer and bringing forth new life.
you and I don’t need a trellis to fulfill our purpose, but like my precious vine, we are subjected to the winds of adversity. Just when we think things are going along well, there is a change in the forecast. There we are, basking in the glow of the welcome sunshine, when suddenly, without warning, a frosty chill descends, catching us off guard and totally unprepared.
When adversity strikes, we feel helpless and alone. We imagine that no one else can understand the depth of our misery, the nature of our terror. It would be so easy to just give up, to admit defeat, to abandon hope. Yet, that is exactly what we must not do.
That tiny, threatened vine had help waiting in the capable hands of the resident gardener. Likewise, you and I have an endless supply of help available from our Master Gardener. God never fails to notice our needs. He may allow the freezing temperatures to overshadow us for reasons we will not comprehend on this side of heaven. Yet, God is ready and willing to meet us in the storm, providing sheets of protection, offering His gentle hand of grace.
Help is available, but we have to choose it. Grace can see us through the storm, but we have to grasp it. We have to make the choice. We have to choose to forge ahead in faith. We have to go on trusting God despite the howling winds that shake us to the core.
Yes, my youngest clematis has a testimony to share with you and me today. It didn’t give up, even when it would have been so easy. It chose persistence. It chose to dig deep and find new life. It took stock of its circumstances and made the most of what it had to work with. It persisted, and it survived. Now, it thrives!
Friends, I pray that you and I can grow to be that tough, forging ahead, hanging onto our faith. We have the opportunity to not only survive, but to thrive. Regardless of whatever perils come our way, may you and I learn to be that persistent.
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“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
Isaiah 26:3 – NIV
PRAYER
O Faithful Father, You are our Master Gardener, watching over us, protecting us, sheltering us during the storms of life. You tend to our needs. You promote our growth. Lord, help us to trust You fully and faithfully. Teach us to cling to our faith with a mindset of persistence.
In the Faithful Name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen
Blessings,
Anita
-APS 8/28/2023
Faith Beyond Sight 