Hand-Picked!

Mr. Greenthumb went to the field to hand pick corn this morning. He typically uses the automated picker behind the John Deere, but this was a special case.

A few months ago, he took a seed... a seed that was dead...

planted it in fertile soil...soil that had been nourished and prepared...

he added water, and the seed took root and sprouted to life. Then came the storms...storms that beat the tender living plants.

Some of the weathered plants wilted and failed to thrive as a result of the storms. Others continued to grow, straight and tall, reaching for the sunlight.

The gardener continued to care for all the plants, despite their varied growth. Despite the same care, some continued to plummet, while others thrived.

But when harvest time came, the gardener had to choose...to select the plants which bore good fruit, suitable for the finish.

Even the fruit that was harvested had to be further sorted...hand-selected for the next stage of the journey.
Have I died to my 'self' and allowed the Gardener to take root in the soil of my heart, accepting His loving care, peering toward the Son, despite the storms? Oh, how I want to bear the fruit worthy of the finish!

The Lord will guide you always;

He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

Isa 58:11