Dear Church Family – 

Christian author and speaker Christine Caine said – “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.” 

I was so excited to receive the indoor, hydroponic garden from my Christmas list.  I “planted” salad greens, various herbs and some tomatoes.  Amazingly, some of the seeds began sprouting within a few days!  Other seeds take longer.  (See image below).  Some can take over, while others are more contained.  It says you have to watch because the faster ones can block the light from the smaller ones, which could inhibit their growth.  

I have regular house plants too.  A few have been in the same pot for a long time, content to stay as they are.  They are alive, well, and are growing. Some I have re potted to bigger pots because they keep outgrowing their pots and need more root space.  There is one really big one that is still in the plastic pot it came in that I placed in a decorative pot – but haven’t actually planted it in the pot yet.  This plant  is root-bound, I’m sure.  It is losing leaves and, while there is some small growth, it isn’t thriving.  How can it – there is no room for the roots to expand and thrive.  It’s as if it’s a visitor in my garden.  It gets sunlight, it gets water and food, but it isn’t …. committed, if that’s the right word.  

On the Farm, when we planted the mum seedlings for the Fall, we would snip the tips of the plants as they started growing.  This would allow the plant to bush out, rather than get tall and spindly.  This type of pruning produces better growth.  The instructions on my hydroponic garden says that if the roots get icky, or the leaves start showing signs of yellowing or what have you, then I am to remove the bad parts or the whole plant itself, so as not to infect the other plants.  Yikes!  But this is the job of a Gardener.

I am reminded of John 15:1-8, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2015&version=NIV  and 

Psalm 1:1-3, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%201%3A1-3&version=NIV .

So, for us, regardless of whether we grow quickly or more slowly, or what variety we are, we must remain in Him, because apart from God we can do nothing.  Whatever fruit we do produce in Him, is all for His glory.  After all, He is the Gardener – the Garden is His vision, His workmanship, and for His pleasure.  How are you growing?