How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
….So merciful, this God of ours!
The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
….I was facing death, and he saved me. Psalm 116:5-6 NLT

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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 think of the lovely cluster of black-eyed Susans that we have around our home. We have many beautiful perennials in our yard. Some bloom in the spring, some in the summer and fall.

But sitting here got me 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, Sat, 8:29 am)

Aug 24th, 2022, Wed, 8:55 pm