Grateful Garden

I’m on my way to the local big box store’s Garden Center again. I’m excited and I’ve promised myself to not spend too much money buying vegetable plants and flowers. Strolling through the Garden Center is one of the most euphoric experiences for me. I make a bee line to the fresh flowers and plant aisles in the front of the Garden Center. My eyes catch all the brilliant colors, shapes, and sizes. My nose catches the whiff of the fragrant floral smells that cast a magical spell. I’m left feeling a little less stressed and my mind slowly eases into a blissful state.

As I travel towards the rear of the store today, I’m drawn to the clearance rack. It’s an unpopular zone of the Garden Center. It’s not as fragrant in this area, In fact, the odor emanating from the clearance rack is quite unpleasant and dismal. The house plants and flowering plants are set on the clearance racks prior to being thrown away. Their colors are dim. The faces of their petals are jagged or torn off completely. The leaves are crusty and brown falling off at the slightest touch. But, today, for some strange reason, I linger and begin to daydream about what these plants may be saying if they could speak.

The shasta daisy says, “If they only watered me more, I would have produced more blooms.” The pale petunia whose petals have fallen off says, “They bunched hundreds of us together and I was so small I was clouded from the sun and now I am too weak to stay green and strong.” The dry and browning cosmos says, “I’ve been stuck in this small container for months. There is no food left in the soil for my roots and they are just bound and constricted in this small area.” After hearing the cries of these poor plants I come up with a great idea.

I purchase as many. of the plants from the clearance rack that I can afford and I rush home to start caring for them and bringing them back to life. I purchase a small green house for them and large white containers for them to settle into to grow. I start to prune them removing old leaves and stems as careful as a surgeon performing surgery. I name my greenhouse the “Pool of Bethesda Urgent Care”. My new plant clinic to revive, refresh, restore and renew sick, injured and battered plants. The clinic is a great addition to my backyard garden named, “Grateful Garden”

I’m reminded of the scripture, Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Question: Have you ever felt passed over because you didn’t look like the crowd? if you are sick, disabled or injured are you wondering if you will ever be healed or not have to struggle? Meditate on Matthew 11:28 and leave a comment below.

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