God Is... A Gardener

Imagine this:

There is a garden; and within this garden, there's a delicate flower and a gardener.

In the beginning, this little flower is pleased with all that the gardener is doing to help it grow because it all feels good. The gardener is providing good soil, lots of water, tons of sunlight and just the right amount of care.

As the flower begins to grow, it realizes that the gardener is doing different things to take care of it. He's plucking at the comfy plants around it, he's changing the soil, he's re-potting it and placing it in another area of the garden that's unfamiliar than the flower is used to.

And then it happens. The seasons change. There's snow. There's tons of rain. There are tornados.

... and the flower is upset.

Where is the gardener?

Why is He allowing this to happen?

How come he's not taking care of me the way He used to?

In the midst of the anger and the rage, in the midst of the tears and the seemingly tormenting season of the flowers life... another thing happens.... the season changes again... the sun begins to shine and to the flower's surprise... it's grown.

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A few weeks back, the garden was me, and the flower was my heart.

What people don't tell you about walking into new seasons of your life is that some of the people you thought for sure would walk with you forever... actually can't go with you.

It's not necessarily because they can't go, but it's mostly because they are not ready to go. And because they aren't ready to go, they'll end up draining you as you walk into this next season instead of empowering you.

And just like with the flower in the story, God began to pluck away what I thought were comfy plants... but were actually weeds.

I went through a horrible breakup, and although that was painful... what was more painful was losing the friend I had found in him.

I lost one of my dearest friends, in the nastiest way, and it crushed me to the core.

And because of the route he chose to take... I lost another friend.

And another.

And another.

...And when I looked up... I was seemingly alone.

And just like that flower ... my heart was angry.

It was hurt.

It was confused.

It did not understand.

Where was the gardener....?

Where was Jesus.....?

..... and why wasn't He taking better care of my heart?

I refused to let the anger overtake me and instead chose to lean into the Lord.

I did not withhold my feelings from Him.

I did not shy away from telling Him exactly what was on my mind.

But I also didn't shy away from praying constantly for myself and the one who hurt me (I understood that although he intentionally hurt me, his actions were brought about because of his own unhealed wounds. So I prayed that the Lord would heal them. And as I prayed for his process, I found healing in my own). I went to church every time the doors opened, got counsel from the wise people God has placed around me, and truly tried to find healing for my heart.

I didn't want my flower to stay wilted, so I allowed the gardener to tend to it.

I made a conscious decision and effort to take these steps and make these moves for 30 days.

And just like the flower, at the end of my 30 days, I looked up and realized that I had grown.

I was stronger.

I was wiser.

I was better.

I had done more than just survive the winter... I had been made better because of it.

I learned that Jesus is more than just a healer of diseases... he's a healer of broken hearts as well.

He is the master gardener, and just like all gardeners, he knows what each flower needs.

He knows that he has to pull the weeds.

He understands that He sometimes has to uproot the flower and plant it elsewhere.

He understands how to care for the flower in all seasons.

I realized that as a flower, it is not my job to understand what the gardener is doing, I am only required to simply be.

As I continue to grow in my faith and mature as a believer, the way God tends to my heart will continually change.

He will continue to have to remove people and add people.

My prayer life will have to increase, as will my appetite for the word.

There may be seasons in which He has to uproot me and plant me elsewhere.

But I have to TRUST that He knows best, and as the gardener of my heart, He will not hurt me ... and everything He does is intended to help me grow.

So, yes, my heart was broken.

But, no, it is not any longer.

I am blooming, I am growing, my leaves are greener and my petals are brighter.

God is a Gardener... and just as gardeners do, He took the ugliest season and produced growth.

Maybe you're experiencing heart break of your own, and maybe your heart is angry.

I don't know what season your garden is in, but regardless of where you find yourself:

Trust the gardener.

"And we know that God causes everything to work together[a]for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." - Romans 8:28 (NLT)