Take a page from a gardener’s handbook.
Preparation is the key to growing a good garden.
If we want a wall of roses, a carpet of grass, and shade trees in the heat of summer, we need to prepare our soil before we plant the first bush, before we roll out the sod, and before that tree is dropped into its hole.
We can’t prepare the same way in each location. Each type of plant has different requirements. We mix mulch with the roses, layer topsoil under the grass, and give our tree enough room for the roots to spread.
Even the nutrients we add to the soil as our plantings begin to mature are specific to each location. The plants aren’t the same, and their requirements need to be met for optimal growth.
Our family is like that garden. Each person in our household has specific needs that require preparation and continual care. When we provide what they need, they will grow strong and blossom in the joy of the Lord.
Psalm 128:3 gives us a picture of our successful family garden:
“Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.”
Perhaps vines and olive shoots aren’t what we picture in our garden, but the idea is there. A garden must be nurtured to be at its best. Our spouse and children require attention and care, for their needs to be met, so they can mature into the best that they can be.
Just as in any garden, if we discover a brown leaf, a broken branch, or a bald spot, ignoring it will only make it worse. We must call in a master gardener to help us adjust our level of care to suit our plantings’ needs.
The master gardener is Jesus. He offers his help every day.
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Code: FGO.J.02.18b.vp.esv