Lessons in a Geranium

For He knows the way that I take…

Job 23:10

On the way to visit a friend last summer, I stumbled upon a little roadside produce market with a stunning array of flower annuals for sale.  The blooms were all beautiful and very healthy, but when I got to the geraniums, all I could do was simply stop and stare.  I have never utilized geraniums in my gardens or containers because of their usual orangey-red color which I don’t particularly like.  The geraniums in front of me, however, were deep red, bright white, two-tone light pink, two-tone darker pink, and a gorgeous cerise.  I filled two containers with mixed shades, and received compliments all summer long.

Yesterday, I had a delivery to make in the same area, so I stopped by to see if they had any similar plants.  The flower portion of the market had at least doubled, and straight in front of me as I walked up the path, were the same breathtaking geraniums.  At checkout, I remarked to the market owner that I had purchased geraniums from her last year, and their growth and glorious colors made a lovely display on my porch.  She replied, “I will only buy geraniums from one greenhouse.  I don’t know what the owner’s secret is, but the flowers that come from his hand far exceed all the others in the area.”

The greenhouse owner sows his seed, then carefully nurtures, feeds and prunes his plants until he has perfect specimens.  In just the same way, God has implanted in our hearts the seeds of His love and grace.  He tenderly nurtures our souls, feeds us through His Word, waters us with the Holy Spirit, and prunes us when necessary through the trials and difficulties that everyday human life brings.  Sometimes it is easy to feel that He has pitched us in the compost heap, or gone off to a distant garden, or whacked off far too many branches for us to continue living.  But I have seen the work of the Master Gardener, I have witnessed the glorious blooms produced by His hand, and I know in my heart that I would rather be in His greenhouse than any other “garden” on earth.