What causes things to grow exactly? There seem to be many elements involved, but one that is key for anything to grow is that it must be in "the right environment." This holds true for flowers, plants, trees, animals- everything in nature must have the right environment in order to thrive or flourish. There are thousands of different types of flowers and plants and each one has it's own "recommended environment". One may be a shade plant. Another must have full and direct sunlight and so on. Anyone who has any experience with gardening in the slightest knows that this much is true. It has been a long winter here in the Northeast and I am in a real hurry for spring to make her appearance and anyone visiting my home would comment that I am "rushing spring" a bit. Today I was in desperate need to be around something new, fresh and beautiful and was led to a special greenhouse here in town. With Emma Pearl on my hip and a fresh cup of coffee in my hand we strolled together up and down every isle and overstayed this magnificent place to say the least. To say that I felt renewed would be an understatement. I soaked and soaked in God's glorious creativity and magnificent artistry and in that moment I had a revelation. I saw how every flower, plant and tree was blossoming and flourishing and thriving and how there wasn't a brown, crumpled leaf among us. I saw how each and every living thing was doing exactly what it was created to do and how each and every living thing was full of His beauty and His glory. I saw how we as God's children are so very similar in so many ways. Think about how we feel when we are "out of our element" or "out of sorts" or in "unfamiliar territory". What about those who suffer from seasonal disorder? Think about how we feel when it rains and pours for a week straight, or how we feel when it snows and snows and it is very, very cold for months at a time. What about those who must endure the warmest of climates? I am speaking strictly from a temperature perspective- literally. But ,what about those who must attempt to "thrive" in an environment filled with the heat of hostility- with the sweat of anger, rage and wrath? What about those who must suffer against their will in the winters of abuse- How can they grow? How can they simply have half a chance to flouish without the "right environment"? What about those for whom spring never comes? Their environment never changes. Physically they grow older, taller. Emotionally they stay a "seedling"....waiting for the right environment. These are whom my heart is turned toward. I want to encourage those who have experienced more winters than springs and those who have suffered the torrential downpours that life often brings- that there is a place where you can grow- and where you can not only grow, but you can blossom and flourish and that is in His greenhouse. The temperature is always right. There is healing for your roots and just the right amount of rain from the Holy Spirit. The Father will warm you with His embrace and His love will envelop you as you sit before Him- just as you are, in your pot that doesn't fit anymore. Just as you are, with your brown, brittle leaves. Just as you are , in desperate need of pruning and re- potting. Sit before Him and feel the breath of spring- and watch winter melt away. Seek Him and you will find Him-always there- always waiting...the greatest gardener we could ever know. The one who created us. The one who fashioned us. The one who wants more than anything for each and every one of us to come into His greenhouse and allow Him to prune back the years..so that we may grow and flourish into the beautiful, fragrant blossoms who represent His Glory all over the earth.
