The Tough Flower in my Garden

November 30, 2020 by  
Filed under Faith, Faith Articles

By DiAne Gates –

SCRIPTURE: “And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

Summer before last, I purchased a new variety of zinnias, the miniature bushy ones. They bloomed all season in a plethora of colors, draping their smiling faces over the bricks of my backdoor flowerbed.

Then winter swooped in. Early and with great gusto. Caught by surprise, I did not have the opportunity to pull up the spent annuals and mulch the bed for the coming spring.

To my delight, when spring arrived, the warm soil became home for a new crop of miniature zinnias that needed no help from me. And when the harsh Texas winter was followed by the most severe drought we’d experienced in decades, those tough little plants thrived and bloomed in even greater abundance than the year before.

Now I’m a quick study in the gardening department. I purchased three packages of their larger cousins to frame these border darlings. Those seeds also produced hardy plants with spectacular blossoms in red, purple and yellow, all summer long. While my plumerias and roses, orchids and daisies struggled to maintain life in the 110 plus afternoon heat, the $2.50 packages of zinnia seeds flourished and embellished our landscape with vivid color.

One pleasant fall afternoon, I sat in my yard swing, the spent zinnia heads in my lap, and removed seeds from each dried blossom. Every flower produced at least fifty or more seeds. What a harvest! Now that I had learned the secret of this tough flower of garden annuals, I envisioned flowerbeds this spring that would explode into patches of brilliant color.

In Genesis 1:29 God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth. . . ”

I looked at the bags of seeds I’d collected and thanked God for His multiplied provision for the next year’s garden, but asked forgiveness for countless seeds of His goodness I’ve wasted through the years, both in my garden and in my life.

In times of abundance, I’ve taken God’s blessings for granted and foolishly squandered the gifts He poured out on me. But when hard times come, and they always do, I’m quick to faint and cry for His help.

I’ve become like a hothouse plant that needs constant care from the elements of life. God places me in difficult situations to develop in me the hardiness and colorful beauty of a zinnia—able to thrive in all conditions. His desire is that I develop the ability to bloom for Him in every season, so that like that tough flower in my garden, He can multiply the harvest of my life.

Father in Heaven, help me remember when trials and hard times come You have allowed them in order to develop in me the strength, courage, and endurance that transforms me into the image of Christ Jesus as I trust You—from faith to faith.

About Diane Gates

DiAne writes and illustrates for children, leads a writer’s group for North Texas Christian Writers, and facilitates GriefShare recovery groups. Her books include Arnold The An Who Wouldn’t Be An Ant, won first place in the Children’s Division at North Texas Christian Writers Conference in 2010, and Roped,a middle grade novel, won first place in the Children’s Division at North Texas Christian Writers Conference in 2011. A devotional article also won second place award at the 2011 NTCW Conference. A devotional series entitled The Master’s Plan is a WIP, and a devotional will appear in The Secret Place in 2012. http://dianegates.wordpress.com/ Moving the Ancient Boundaries
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Comments

One Response to “The Tough Flower in my Garden”
  1. I’m not much of a gardener but I love your comparison between hardy plants that are able to withstand the difficult times and those grown in a hothouse. That helps put a good perspective on the difficult times.

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