My husband decided to fill in our swimming pool, much to my dismay. He asked “What would you like to put in its place?” It took me about four months to get over being upset before I could answer him. You have to understand, I LOVED my swimming pool. And living in South Alabama can be brutal in the summers.

Since my home was French Country it only seemed to make sense to make a French Country Garden where the massive dirt pile lay and we started to make plans. We were able to create a lovely design and after eight long months, finally finishing it (mostly) in May. I’m digging it but it is a lot of work. I keep reminding myself “Anything worthwhile takes work” and sometimes, that helps when I’m watering 2 hours a morning.

It seems I am constantly watering, treating my new trees, shrubs and flowers as if they were newborn babies; testing the soil, talking to them – pampering them. They seem to be soaking it all up. I know that these new trees especially, are rooting down in the ground, and it takes time for the roots to go deep so they can shoot up, grow, to their full potential.

They are in fact, in complete reliance and dependent on me to care for them. The soil must be the perfect balance, fertilized with the appropriate solution, the watering must be kept in check and administered correctly – so they will be able to thrive in these hot, dry temperatures – fighting all the elements. They have to be staked to be able to withstand windy conditions so as to not bend or break. I certainly cannot leave them to themselves until they have been rooted and grounded.

This is what happens in our spiritual life as the Master Gardner (Christ) cares for us. We’re completely reliant and dependent on Him – it’s all Him, as we remain passive, yielding to His touch, hand and perfect will. He is becoming our firm foundation. He is fixing us in Himself. To be able to stand in the most adverse of circumstances, wind, rain, pain, heartache and difficulty – UNMOVED so we can give out His love to all we come in contact with. It’s all Him but it’s we who see the fruit (HIS LIFE) in us, come forth as us.

We remember the lesson in the parable of the seed, how it sends down a shoot into the soil, the ground – that it might be rooted, grounded in its firm foundation; while at the same time, sending up a shoot (fruit 100 fold) to be the plant and flower (life to others) that shall bring life and love to the world. The growth is necessary – without the strong root system (firm foundation in Christ and HIs love and life), it would soon wither away.

All of mans own activity fails if it doesn’t grown in Christ into a mature man. The higher the growth upward, the deeper must be its root system – we become fixed so that we do not bend nor break (like the palm tree) when difficulty comes.

So many live and do apart from Christ and Him having become their foundation, always living as if they are an independent self, doing, living and acting – all their work is of little value. They burn out – it’s a “chasing after the wind” – they have not become fixed. Any thing that comes in the form of grief, despair, depression, pain or heartache throws them into chaos. They spiral into the pit of “Why does this always happen? Where is God in this? Why has He deserted me?”

When in reality, all these difficulties are to cause us to “LEARN CHRIST” – meaning – learn how to take Him, right in the middle of these things. He in love, is using all these things to cause us to be rooted and grounded in Him and His love. So that we become fixed and unchanged NO MATTER WHAT comes into our life.

Scripture tells us to “Be watchful and on guard” – to see with clarity, that all these things are actually working for our good and His glory. Be on guard against the flowers and leaves which do not yet have a strong root system (your own doing apart from Christ). It is He that will do the rooting and grounding in us, as we remain receptive, passive and abiding – in utter abandon and surrender – willing only ONE will (His).