Things settled down and everything seemed to be going smoothly. I was having my daily morning times with the Lord when He would open His word to me and I talked with Him. They were precious times and I wouldn’t have missed them for anything. I had banished all the doubtful things from the study of my mind, and I was feasting on the good and pure things that He delighted in.    He was teaching me how to make the best use of my time and to make useful contacts with others. My cupboards were all clean and I had nothing to be ashamed of, or so I thought.

   One day, the Lord came to me and said with a whimsical smile, “Um, have you looked at the garden lately?” I glanced out the window, and said hastily, “But Lord, You know how busy I’ve been doing Your work, and taking time to be with You each day!”

“Ah,” He said, “But you cannot afford to get slack in anything that belongs to Me. I know I could do this work for you with a single word, but that is not  how I have ordained things. It is up to you to weed and tend this garden, or you will not be able to totally enjoy the beauty I have provided. The plants will be covered in weeds, and the dead heads on the flowers will prevent new growth and continual flowering!”

He went on….  “And look at how those crawling roses are growing so rampantly! They will lose their shape and their beauty if they are not attended to straight away!” “Oh”, I said somewhat shamefacedly, “I’m sorry Lord, I’ll get onto it straight away and promise I won’t let it get away from me again!”

   I was beginning to realise that serving the Lord is a lifelong daily task! Not only that, but it was to be a continual thing, and not just something to be played at now and then. After all, my garden was to be a thing of beauty that all who saw it would realise that the gardener (me) took the work of the Lord seriously and tried to reflect what He was teaching in His Word!