Good morning, Father! There is a full day ahead and I am glad that You will be with me. Give me the strength for the tasks at hand. May my thoughts be often drawn to You. Amen.

Lord, as I was thinking about some of the outdoor tasks I need to work on this fall I thought about the peonies that need to be split and replanted. As I’m writing I also noticed the lovely cluster of black-eyed Susans that we have up by the road. We have many beautiful perennials in our yard. Some bloom in the spring, some in the summer and fall.

But sitting here got me to thinking about how some of our plants grow and how that relates to how we grow in our walk with Christ. In God’s garden, I don’t think I want to be a peony. They are beautiful, yes, but as soon as they come out, inevitably a spring storm comes and the blooms are battered pretty quickly – they can’t handle what the world has to throw at them.

Also, I don’t want to be a peony because they are stuck where they are planted. Over time if they are not dug up, split and replanted they will produce fewer and fewer blooms. I don’t want my witness for Christ to suffer because I won’t move.

I would be a Black-eyed Susan though. Their stunning yellow petals and dark centers readily catch our eye. A storm in the summer or fall just keeps them well watered. Their strong stalks readily withstand strong winds. They can handle just about anything the world has to throw at them.

Also, I’d rather be a black-eyed Susan because they don’t just stay where they are planted. In fact, I probably should thin them out some in our flower beds – they are literally taking over some of them! They are quick to spread themselves abroad. What a great correlation to living lives eager to share what God has done for us

Lord, may I be like the black-eyed Susan. May Your beauty in me readily catch the eye of those around me. May I proudly stand for You regardless of what the world throws at me. And may I always be about spreading the Good News of what You have done for me. Amen.

Aug 26th, 2017, Sat, 8:29 am