I love our Pastor Rob! And I love when he preaches the wooly socks off of the sheep like he did this morning.  He is one of those rarities – a man who preaches God’s word in his own inimitable style and allows it to move him – and us – to tears. His passion for the Lord is infectious and a delight to me who grew up in a family and church where emotions were held tightly in check. There were no Kleenex boxes in  cathedrals.  I love that the Holy Ghost tenderizes our hearts and that it’s OK to weep a little because of God’s presence.

Pastor Rob’s message was  “Grow Up”, that is,  mature as Christians. It’s a recurring Word for Mountain Life Church this year and so when I hear the same theme being preached, my ears perk up. It means “Pay attention.”  The core of the lesson is that God has given each person special, unique gifts, something which we are good at and love to do and can’t NOT do! All that’s required is to tap into the deep, personal reservoir of gifting and use it to serve others. Why? Not for ourselves but to glorify the Giver.

In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus admonishes his disciples who want to send the hungry crowd away. “You give them something to eat,” the Lord says. (You do it. What’s inside your hands? What has God put there for you?) Jesus then manifests the Father’s divine largesse by multiplying five loaves of bread and two fish. He feeds five thousand tired and hungry people. Why? For sure because they were hungry. But the point of the miracle was solely for the glory of His Father because Jesus did only what the Father told Him to do.

As Christians, we grow up by not holding on tightly to what God blesses us with.

During May and June’s glorious weather, I’ve been out in the gardens a lot, digging, planting, watering, mucking about. It is that very thing that Rob talked about, a passion deep inside me which won’t go away. My husband is amused by and most tolerant of my “grubbing in the earth” as he calls it. He could care less about this passion of mine. Give him a round of golf any time and he is happy. Ho hum!

If we’re supposed to mature through the gifts in us, then how in the world does gardening fit in? It certainly can’t be for the amount of actual veggies which will produce for I’ll be fortunate if it doesn’t freeze early or the deer don’t invade the salad bar.

It is this. More than flowers and vegetables have been growing while I tend to the gardens. While I’m digging in the soil and getting my hands dirty,  the Lord’s been plowing up  rocky, unfertile places in my heart. He has planted what I never could grow on my own. There is perseverance, dedication and focus  as  I work the ground and beds in early spring and summer. There is patience  and problem solving in place of frustration when the weather or temperature or plants don’t cooperate.  Watching young seedlings establish and grow, knowing they will become what they’re designed for, I ‘m filled with anticipation and hope.   Midway in the season,I envision  fall’s changes, next year’s spring, dream beyond what’s right now. In the garden the Lord brings visions and ongoing life.

Always there is joy, love and great delight, creating something beautiful in  earth’s clay. Out of that comes heartfelt praise for God, a song sung to Him alone because of all His goodness and bounty. From the single seed-gift,  a passion for gardening, He has showered blessing upon blessing to  transform  my heart and what’s in my hands. That I can plant in  the world to share for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.

EAG