Lessons from a Garden

Lesson 7: Transplanting is Sometimes Necessary

In the course of planting our vegetable garden it was necessary for me to transplant two perennials and a bush. The bush was in the corner and tended to spread out onto the garden area. The perennials were in the middle of the ground where I wanted to plant vegetables. With a great deal of digging and a lot of grunting I managed to uproot the bush and transport it to the front of the house where it covered a bare spot. Moving the two perennials was easier. These went into a garden of perennials to the side of our property. Now everything was where it was supposed to be for the purposes we intended.

During our more than 40 years as Salvation Arm Officers my wife and I were often "transplanted" from one community to another. Like those plants in my garden we did not have any say in the matter but we put down roots and did our best to do our duty in each new place we lived. In your life, too, there will be times when you will be transplanted, sometimes by your own choise and sometimes by circumstances out of your control. It is wise to remember in such times that God is the Divine Garderner and although decisions seem to be made arbitarily by others, God's purposes for us will work out in the end.

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the one... whose delight is in the law of the Lord

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
    which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
    whatever they do prospers.