By Karen O’Connor:
Photo by Jane M. Sawyer
[FINDING GOD IN DAILY LIFE] “This is hard work,” my husband declared as he dug and tugged and hacked at the strong root mass of a flowering bush that had seen better days.
He was eager to replace this plant with something new and pretty but the old one hung on for dear life. It wouldn’t give up easily. Then I realized that what was happening in our garden often occurs in my spirit.
I was finding God in a flowerbed just as I find him within myself when I try to dig out my roots of anger, guilt, or shame than cling to my spirit.
I make some headway with prayer and commitment and the grace of God to guide me but if I don’t get down to the bottom of the root, little tendrils make their way up to the top and bloom all over again! So it’s an ongoing process—this transformation of the soul––and it’s not something I can manage on my own. I need the Lord to lead and guide me or I might give up too quickly, only to find a stray vine popping through the soil of my spirit when I least expect it.
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Hebrews 12:15, the Bible)
But with God on our side and the scriptures to inspire us, we can get to the bottom of our sinful nature, pull out those roots of pain and hurt that wound our soul and the souls of those we love and live a life of peace and renewal. Finding God in a flowerbed is just one example of the many places God speaks to us and teaches us how to conduct our lives so we bloom where he plants us.
Enjoy this You Tube video on how to create a beautiful raised flowerbed.
©Karen O’Connor. Karen is an author, writing mentor, and frequent contributor to the Finding God Daily blog. Visit Karen on the web at www.karenoconnor.com.
