Jesus as Our Gardener

This post is by Christy Hinnant.

Every morning I do this thing.  I stand at the coffee pot, and I wait.  And while I wait for that gorgeous rich aroma to start filling the house, I check on all my little plant babies.  

You see, I love succulents.  They bring me joy and happiness that I can’t really explain.  I love to watch them grow.  Some days, I need to turn their pots so that they continue to stretch up straight, instead of bending toward the window.  Predictably, some days they need water.  And yet other days, I discover that the dreaded has happened - mold has somehow snuck past my daily watch and has started to take root somewhere, threatening to destroy all of my hard work for that tiny baby plant.  

It’s in these moments of daily care for my plants that God begins to speak.  He reminds me that we aren’t that much different from the little plants that cover my favorite corner of the kitchen.

I once heard that Jesus is waiting at the front door for us every morning - just waiting for us to come and open it and invite Him in.  Wow.  How convicting that is on days when I oversleep or the kids wake up early and I don’t carve out time for quiet time.  

It’s like I’ve just left Him there on the front porch, all alone!  I promise you I still made time to go to the coffee pot.  But did I take five more steps to go open the front door and spend time with my Savior?  Some days it just doesn’t happen.  And the wonderful thing is, His grace allows for those days - He still comes back every day.  Even if I don’t open the door.

But when I don’t take the time to care for my plants, I can see the physical view of what’s happening spiritually without my time with the Lord.   When I don’t care for my plants, they shrivel up.  Their precious supple petals wither and fall off.  Succulents are so tedious sometimes.  And while I have been blessed with a “green thumb,” I have lost more than one plant over the years to mis-care.  

You see, it's important that I read about that specific variety.  If I don’t take that time to learn about that specific plant, I am not going to know how to tackle its specific needs.  I might have it in the wrong soil.  Or I might over or under water it.  Or ya know, it might even prefer being outside.  I tend to get into the rut of treating all of my plants the same.  Sometimes I forget that each one has a different need.  If I don’t take the time to read about them, I am sadly disappointed at the end result.  

Isn’t it the same with our walk with the Lord?  If we leave Him outside the front door and don’t take time to sit down and spend time reading His Word and talking to Him, we stumble.  We shrivel.  And we let spiritual mold take over our lives. 

King David wrote in Proverbs 9:9-10(ESV), “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”  

More important than learning about my succulents is learning about God and the way I should be walking with Him.  How much more important than learning about how I should care for my plants is it that I learn how I should care for the children God entrusted to us?  God blessed us with three amazing children, but y’all let me be the first to tell you that I am far from a perfect parent, and far from a perfect wife.  The only way I can keep mold from creeping in and threatening to ruin everything is to read God’s instruction manual and spend time with Him in prayer.  

It is my hope and prayer that you will stop today and look at the beautiful plants in God’s world around you.  He has blessed you with beauty to see even in the weeds, if you will stop and see it.  Each of those beautiful plants that He created, He cares for in amazing ways.  And yet, even so much more, He cares for you. (Matt 6:25-34)  He desires to spend time with you.  He desires to provide you the living water that you need to sustain your succulent, rich, lush, and divine spiritual life.  He stands at the door and knocks (Rev 3:20), waiting for you to come and open it every day.  Will you invite Him in to enjoy coffee with you?  

I pray you will.  May “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”  Numbers 6:24-26 ESV

Christy Hinnant is the wife of Cody, and mother to three amazingly smart and crazy kids.  They live outside of San Antonio, Texas, in a small town where she teaches 3rd-5th grade physically and mentally disabled special needs kiddos.  She is a gardener and lover of all things coffee who strives daily to follow the Lord and seek Him first.  She loves her two dogs and two cats, and volunteers at church as the nursery team leader, where she loves snuggling babies every Sunday morning.  She enjoys writing and reading any time she gets the chance, and her favorite book to pour over is God’s Word.

Photo taken by Christy Hinnant.