Wednesday, September 3, 2008

A Flower In His Garden

As a caregiver God has given me a special job. A job not only to care for my patient but to care for her/his possessions, belongings, to have a tender heart and a listening ear, among other things. Recently while taking care of my patient, I was taking care of some plants and flowers she had and I noticed among them one that had no leaves, no flowers, nothing on it. It was just one long green stem/stick. I asked about it and was told that it was once a lovely orchid given to her while she was recovering in a rehab center some time last year but after blooming for a while all the leaves fell off. She said the friend that had given it assured her that it would someday bloom again. Looking at it, I seriously doubted it would. There was no life whatsoever, only a long, dry, stick.

But I decided it didn't cost anything to water it, after all I was watering the other plants daily or at least every other day. So I started to water the long, dry, stick. I watered it, and I watered it, and I watered it, and nothing happened. That is, until one day, after a long weekend away, I saw a bud, and I saw another bud, and another bud, and yet another bud. Pretty soon it had about six buds with some bigger than the others. Could this really be happening? After all this time, I asked myself, could this really be happening? Sure it was, right in front of my eyes. The orchid began to bloom. Within a week of seeing those buds one opened and out came the most gorgeous purple flower I have ever seen. A couple more days and with their faces turned to the sun, four purple orchids stood proudly in full bloom

What an amazing testimony to the greatness of God!! What a wonderful process that takes place from seed to plant or from seed to flower.

Just like those orchids, our lives look so hopeless sometimes. No shape, no structure. We are discarded by those who have no use for us, but what a joyous day when Christ enter our lives. Like the giver of that flower, He knows that when we are watered by His love and fed by His word we can bloom again. The entrance of His word brings light into our lives. He never stops giving up on us. He never stops pouring His love out on us. His Holy Spirit keeps on tugging at our heart until we open up to Him.

Let's ask God today to water our lives afresh. To renew the dry and cracked areas that only He can give life to.

As the rain and snow come down from heaven and do no return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth. Isaiah 55:10 & 11


Blessings,
Vickie

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Vickie, this is Alice from Godlinked. Very nice blog you have here. Thanks for inviting me to take a look. May the Lord bless you abundantly with your walk with him!!

Blessings, Alice

Terri Tiffany said...

This post was beautiful! I can't write devotions without a lot of difficulty but I can see it is your gift.
Thank you for writing your goals for next week on my blog! I am excited to see how we all do:)
I see you are a caregiver--what a tremendous job to have! I used to be a social worker in a nursing home and it was difficult some days. And now my father has caregivers come into his home to help him--I don't know what he would do without that wonderful help!I am sure you are a blessing to those in your care.