Sitting around the table with a few of my loved ones, the conversation had shifted to the gardens around our homes. As my friend’s suffering eyes transformed with a glow when she described her home, I heard myself speaking an answer,
“You’ve planted your soul in the ground of that place.”
It was one of those moments where you feel the words coming from someplace other than your own lips. It was a God-moment for me. Especially when another loved one spoke a word to me later that same night, a word that he had heard while praying:
“Multiplication.”
But when I woke the next morning and opened my Scripture reading to the verse I had just highlighted the morning before, the verse I had forgotten when all my loved ones were sharing with me, I definitely began to sit up and take notice:
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.2 Corinthians 9:10
The questions and the words began to shift and form, as I realized there was such a difference between my own way of seeing and that of my true Master Gardener.
The pain screams loud
But the disease is silent.
The years fly swiftly
But the moments have been stilled.
The sickness courses through my veins
But my joints have become frozen.
The weeds of this disorder take root
While the seeds of righteousness wait in silence.
The Gardener grooms His planting
Nothing is overlooked
He will enlarge His harvest.
My eyes are dismayed by this stillness
But HIS eyes see a crop of beauty ahead.
The cells of my disorder are wreaking havoc
Yet He calls forth PRAISE from my inmost being.
While I feel the curse of sin
My Gardener has planted HIS own soul.
When I see the stony ground of hurting
He works the softness of His good soil.
The Master Gardener has planted
His seed, His heart
Here in the soil of me.
The harvest will come.
–bg
This song shared by yet another dear loved one wove it all together in my heart. The song is taken from a verse within my “Life Passage” of Scripture:
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.Isaiah 55:9 NIV
Your prayers have been so precious to me, from all of you, my friends and loved ones. God weaves us together in ways we could not imagine. I am on my way to receive the injectable nerve block from the Pain Management Doctor today. I may not know all the details, and yet I know that your life is being planted and groomed today too.
In all of these moments, our Master Gardener is planting His own seeds and grooming His harvest in this soil, this clay of our ground.
I would love to pray with you today:
Dear Lord of our hearts,
Thank You for the beautiful seeds that You have chosen and planted deep within the ground of our hearts, Your home. Thank You that when all we can see is the struggle and the toil, You see the harvest of beauty You have planned. Will You keep lifting our eyes to see the glory coming from Your Presence? When the shovel and trowel cut deep, will You help us to praise You for the softening that is being accomplished? Help us to wait with You, to rejoice in Your ways. You are such a wonderful Lord to us.
In the name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen.
I am linking with:
BettieGsRAseasons 
“he Master Gardener has planted
His seed, His heart
Here in the soil of me.”
Amen! This is so beautiful – your poem, your words, your photo. The verse says a lot, doesn’t it? He will “enlarge the harvest” of our righteousness. He puts His heart in us and works through our weak human bodies giving strength and shining His light. Even in your pain and suffering and sharing – He is multiplying His harvest through you as others read and are drawn to Him because of you. Much love with many blessings to you my dear sister/poet/friend! xoxo
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Oh Gayl, yes you are so right, that verse is so full of precious meaning. I love your thoughts: “He puts His heart in us and works through our weak human bodies giving strength and shining His light.” I’m so thankful for His gifts of Himself there. And I am so thankful for the encouragement you share from your heart as well, dear friend. Much love and hugs to you too, my dear sister/poet/friend. xoxo
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Dear Bettie,
Linking to the verse you quoted, the same chapter, Isaiah 55 says this: Isaiah 55:10-13 Living Bible (TLB)
“10 As the rain and snow come down from heaven and stay upon the ground to water the earth, and cause the grain to grow and to produce seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry, 11 so also is my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It shall accomplish all I want it to and prosper everywhere I send it. 12 You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills, the trees of the field—all the world around you—will rejoice. 13 Where once were thorns, fir trees will grow; where briars grew, the myrtle trees will sprout up. This miracle will make the Lord’s name very great and be an everlasting sign of God’s power and love.”
So also the word God gives you to share through your pain and tears will accomplish what he wants – seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.
Overflowing blessings!
Love,
Lisa
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Oh Lisa, thank you so much for sharing those verses, and in the Living Bible translation too. That is the translation that Barry was reading from when he first got saved, and when the Lord first brought us together. It feels like such a benediction from God to hear it again tonight. Only God could have known what a gift that would be for me. May He bless you as well, my dear friend and RAsister. Love and hugs to you.
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You strengthen others by your faith in your struggles. What beauty emanates from your trust in our heavenly father in your pain. I hope for rest from pain today.
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Oh, what sweet words of comfort you have shared with me tonight, you bring tears to my eyes. If the Lord brings strength to others through the words that He lets me share here, then I am truly thankful. I appreciate your prayers so much tonight, as I am hoping for rest after the procedure. Blessings to you!
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This is beautiful, Bettie: “My eyes are dismayed by this stillness. But HIS eyes see a crop of beauty ahead.” I love this vision.
Praying that the injection worked well for you. I have a friend waiting on her insurance to approve something similar. She’s in a lot of pain. 😦
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Dear Lisa,
Oh thank you so much for your prayers. And I will pray for your friend as she is in this waiting place. That pain is so draining–I will ask the Lord to bring her relief. Our God is watching over us so closely, even when we cannot see it. Blessings to you today!
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Oh Bettie, I so hope and pray the injection will give relief. It’s such a comfort that “The Master Gardener has planted His seed, His heart Here in the soil of me.” There is such hope in the truth that though we see the struggle and the toil here, He sees the harvest of beauty He has planned. Thank you so much for encouraging this weary soul today! Love and blessings of strength in every way!
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Dear Trudy,
Thank you so much for your dear prayers, they mean so much to me. He is so precious to us in the ways that He brings us encouragement just when our weary souls feel so depleted. I am so grateful for your encouragement too, sweet friend. His hope is such a precious gift. May you be blessed with abundant hope from Him today. Hugs and love!
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Good day, my sister,
I am reading your blog while you are at your appointment. How beautifully you juxtaposed our view/your experience with His glory, His plans and promises. Trusting the promise He makes beauty from ashes today. Lysa Teurkerst spoke of the perfection in the garden of Eden and how after sin’s entry we need to learn to life away from the garden looking forward to the hope of returning to perfection with Him. Thank you sister for such a timely post about our Master Gardener, who never stops planting regardless of what we see. Love, Julie
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Dear Julie,
Oh how beautiful of the Lord to be speaking of gardens for you this weekend also. Isn’t it amazing how He weaves our thoughts together in Him? I appreciate your prayers so much. HE is in our every moment, loving and planting for His harvest time. Love you dear sister! Blessings and hugs for you!
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Thank you for constantly giving me hope and encouragement. I look forward to turning on the computer and finding your blog posts. I smile when I see there is a new post from you. 🙂 Have a blessed day!
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Oh Dear Melissa, you bring tears to my eyes. I am so grateful that the Lord brings you such encouragement here. He is such a sweet comforter for us. I pray for blessings and love for you today too!
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Dear Bettie, how I needed to hear your heart today! Thank you for your beautiful ministry of scripture, reflections, poetry and songs. Your words bring tears to my eyes and fresh Living Water to my soul. May we cling to Christ, come what may. Where else can we go? He is our rock, our strength, our joy, even through the pain and tears. He is still beautiful and He promises an even more beautiful ending. May we bring him the five loaves and two fish, the little we have to offer, for He will always multiply. The Lord is already harvesting the seeds you have planted in my heart.
I found this beautiful prayer online. Never could find the author, only the organization. Your post reminded me of it.
God stir the soil
Run the plowshare deep,
Cut the furrows round and round,
Overturn the hard, dry ground,
Spare no strength nor toil,
Even though I weep.
In the loose, fresh mangled earth
Sow new seed.
Free of withered vine and weed
Bring fair flowers to birth.
Amen.
~ from the Church Missionary Society, Singapore
Praying for you as I write. May there be a lifting of the pain and a special closeness of the Lord’s presence. Blessings and love, Melissa
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Oh, Melissa, your words bring tears to my eyes too. What a beautiful poem! “Spare no strength nor toil, even though I weep.” Oh yes, Lord, even though my tears fall, I ask You to complete Your softening in my stony ground. Thank you so much for sharing that. He truly does receive the little that we have and multiplies it for His own good and beautiful harvest. You are in my prayers tonight Dear Sister. May the Lord bring you His own dear presence as you cling so tightly to Him.Amen. We truly have found out that we have nowhere else to go but to Him! He is our Living Water. Hugs and Love to you tonight.
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What beautiful, encouraging thoughts that have been wrought in the enforced stillness which pain and chronic illness bring. Thank you, Bettie, for pouring out the words God gave you as hope-filled seed so they might plant a harvest in the lives of others. Tears fell as I read these ones: “My eyes are dismayed by this stillness. But HIS eyes see a crop of beauty ahead.” Oh for the faith to hold onto and fully believe this in my own season of quietness and rest! May you sense the preciousness of His calming presence infusing you with sweet relief, fresh mercy, grace and strength enough to cope in the days ahead. Sending blessings, love and prayers to you, dear friend! xoxo
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Dear Joy, I love those thoughts you expressed, “hope-filled seed.” Our Lord’s seeds truly are covered with hope, aren’t they? Even when we can only see the dismay surrounding us. I am so grateful that He understands are limited vision, and comes to hold us up. I appreciate your prayers so much dear friend, and oh, how I pray that same “sweet relief, fresh mercy, grace and strength enough to cope for you” also. Thank you for bringing such encouragement to me tonight. Blessings, love and prayers for you dear heart-friend. xoxo
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I pray the injections will do what they are meant to do and provide your physical body relief. And that you continue to be spiritually filled through the many ways God is working in you and through others! I love all your posts that refer to the garden. They bring visions of beauty, and feelings of warmth!
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Dear Lynn,
Thank you for enjoying the beauty of nature and gardening also! Isn’t His creation such a mighty gift for us? I appreciate your encouragement and your prayers so much. He truly does bless us through so many! His grace multiplies as we share it too! Blessings and love to you!
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