The Lord directs the steps of the Godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Psalm 37:23
It stands tall. When we moved to 217 West Poplar Street our yard was a blank slate. The house had sat empty for more than a few years and while someone made sure the grass was cut, no one cared if it was beautiful. When my wife Judy came…all that began to change. Somewhere along her journey she acquired what can only be described as a green thumb. She has a way with plants that causes them to grow…to thrive. What was once a blank slate is now a garden, lush and green, with many kinds of plants, trees, and flowers.
Her style, though planned, is not one that is starchy or stiff. The flowers and plants are allowed to grow freely…to multiply. While there are times when pruning has to be done and digging has to occur, largely they are allowed to “bloom where they are planted.” The best example of that is Herbert the tree. I need to tell you that I only recently named the tree Herbert. I thought it might add more human interest to the story. Anyway, several years ago, a maple tree began to grow in one of our flower beds. Now, honestly, that usually doesn’t end well for the tree. But this one, well, somehow the story turned out differently.
Herbert started growing too close to the fence in our front yard. I can say with certainty that he was probably cut down a couple of times and each time he came back. So finally, somehow, we decided to let him grow—and he did. Time gets away from us all and it may be longer than I think, but I think Herbert is now about five years old. He has grown from a little maple sapling into a 25-30-foot-tall tree. He was planted by nature, but it was our decision to let him grow…to bloom where he was planted. I’m glad we did.
Herbert is now big enough to provide shade in our front yard and he also adds depth and dimension to our yard. Oh, and now, for the first time, when I rake leaves in the fall, at least some of them are mine and not my neighbor’s. Somehow that is satisfying. A friend says I should have cut Herbert down a long time ago…you know, wrong place. But I told him that we were going to give him a chance. While the place nature put him isn’t the best, he is a constant reminder to us that we should grow, to flourish, wherever God plants us.
Our life has been a series of great adventures. While some folks choose to grow in the same community all of their lives and maybe live in the same house…well, ours has been different. It really wasn’t us making the call…I believe it was a sovereign God working and planning what He thought best for us. Our path isn’t your path, but it was the one that God chose for us. One of the writers of the Jewish hymnbook in what we call the Old Testament said, “The Lord directs the steps of the Godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” In other words, life, and especially the life of someone who follows Jesus, isn’t a series of accidents and circumstances but rather the handiwork of a Master Gardener. And for those Jesus followers, well that Master Gardener just happens to be their Dearest Daddy.
So, when you drive by our house on Poplar Street look at Herbert. He lives by the alley and by the fence on the East side of our front yard. Notice that he is closer to the fence than he should be but also remember that he is simply, “blooming where he was planted.” It seems to be working out well for Herbert and guess what? It seems to work out well for us humans too. Regardless of where you’ve been planted and regardless of the soil—just keep trusting the Master Gardner…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 