Two Gardeners

Two women sat down to have a chat as one glanced over to admire the orchids so beautifully blooming on the specially built shelves in the host home.  Above the orchids were specific lights bought to encourage the growth of these delicate beauties.  The avid gardener began to explain to the amateur gardener the effort it took to encourage an orchid to bloom.  Without once saying, "you can't grow them, don't even try!"... the amateur gardener received the warning into her heart.

Each time the amateur gardener would see orchids, she would become intimidated by their growth and curious how anyone could take all that time and effort for one plant.  Her schedule was way too busy to even suggest such folly with her time, she must wait until a calmer season of life, if ever to try to grow an orchid.

However, the amateur gardener's husband never heard the implied, unspoken words that his wife received many decades earlier, so he joyfully recovered the discarded plant from the trash to bring home to his wife.  In his eyes, his wife would enjoy the plant.  As he cheerfully brought the plant in, waiting for expressions of excitement, he was surprised to receive the opposite.  "Oh, an orchid!  I can't grow those! That is why they tossed it after it bloomed. Those are for experienced gardeners, and I am not one."

He looked up puzzled and said, "well, it was for free and you could try..." as he set it on the table.  The amateur gardener read the instructions and with fear and trepidation decided to give it a try, even if she believed it was a waste of time.

Two ice cubes for watering...that was easy, but she wasn't going to do more.  She was sure it would cost money, so she would surely watch it wilt and die.  She didn't have the fancy light or the fancy soil...or any of the special equipment her master gardener friend had possessed to bring forth the delicate flowers.

The plant got knocked off the table leaving scars on it's leaves and special dirt fell all over the floor. In spite of the harsh conditions, it continued to survive.

To the amateur's astonishment it even began to have buds!  Then the buds began to open to reveal the beauty of a stem of orchids.
No special light...just the sun from the door.
No special treatment ...just ice cubes every few days!

The true Master Gardener brings forth His beauty in His own way...through scarred leaves and amateur hands.  He works His wonders.  The blooms are a reminder that I too, am in the Master's hands....His will not mine, as He takes His scarred hands and completes the work He has begun.

What words (intended or not) have you believed which have caused you NOT to try something?  For me, the orchid is a reminder of how I allowed a seed to be planted...though unintended by the sower...I was almost robbed of seeing the beauty of my own orchid plant.  It also reminds me that God is the Master Gardener and He brings forth the beautiful blessings of the blossoms.