I am truly terrible at gardening. What ever the opposite of green fingers are - I've got them. Some friends just bought us a flower basket and my first thought was to panic and wonder how long it will take me to kill them. But I was told all I need to do is sit them outside and they'll look after themselves - thank goodness! That is my kind of flower basket!
Today I've been asking the Lord what to do for my darling youngest daughter who has not settled into nursery at all. In fact, it got so bad last week that I have decided to pull her out. I couldn't find a single other preschool available in the area so this morning I spent some time talking to God about it.
I asked the Lord to show me what the Bible has to say about bringing up children. I had just been reading in Song of Soloman so was immediately drawn towards the verses that read :
"My mother's sons were angry with me
They asked me to be the keeper of their vineyards
But my own vineyard I have not kept."
Then I took a walk and found some purple crocuses growing by the side of the road and remembered a Word someone once had for my daughter that she was like a flower and like a flower, she would bring joy into people's lives just by being there.
My little girl is like a flower. She requires much love and tender care and during this time of change and upheaval, she needs all the extra care and attention I can spare. If I want to write books that help parents bring their children closer to God, I can't neglect my own precious vineyard/garden.
But like I said, I'm not very good at gardening! I think I've hoped that my children would be able to stand all the change and thrive in their new environment with relative ease - my older child certainly has! She must be more like an oak tree! But my little flower is younger and just wants to be home with mummy. There's nothing wrong at all with the nurseries and preschools she's tried and every other kid there seems to thrive. But my little flower is not quite strong enough yet to withstand the harsher weather and just needs to stay close to her Mummy. I think this is where she will grow stronger - and when the day comes for her to send her off to school, I won't have any regrets.
So my prayer is that of the Shalumite woman in Song of Soloman 1:7 :
"Tell me, O you whom I love,
Where you feed your flock,
Where you make it rest at noon."
May the Great Gardener teach me how to look after my flower so it will bloom in all it's radiant beauty and grow strong, with deep roots, to survive the harsh weather in years to come. Will the Great Shepherd teach me how to tend to my kid like He has been doing so faithfully for so long.
And immediately I have my answer!
"8 If you do not know, O fairest among women,
Follow in the footsteps of the flock,
And feed your little goats
Beside the shepherds’ tents."
As my daughter desires to be close to me, so I must remain close to the Shepherd. As I try to teach her, I must remain close to the teacher. As I try to nurture her, I must remain close to the Great Gardener. As I try to lead her to Jesus, I too must follow in the footsteps of the flock.
Whatever it is I am called to do in this life, if I stay close to Him I'll stay under his shadow. The safest place to be.
