All things made new...2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (NKJV) 2 Corinthians 5:17

If I'm willing to listen, God is always willing to speak to me no matter what my location or who I am with.  While picking rocks with my earthly father yesterday, my heavenly father spoke to me and I've been pondering it now for almost 24 hours, so I thought I would share as maybe it will be some sort of encouragment for someone else.

As I was sifting through the garden soil with my hands, I felt a sort of peace come over me.  God told me to think of my heart as the garden.  Above the soil lays a smooth layer of green grass, but what my eye sees is NOT what He sees. God knows what lies underneath the smooth layer of grass before it is plowed up--just as He knows my every thought and the condition of my heart even before I speak or take action.

The first step in having a garden that flourishes is to prepare the land.  As I have already learned through our new garden experience...Even though it would seem easier to pay someone to come in and rake the rocks out the easy way, it just doesn't work as great as you'd think it does.  So...I found I needed to take the time to remove the rocks myself with the help of my father.  Rocks must be removed so our vegetables can take root and have room to grow under the soil.  Same goes for my heart...sometimes it would seem easier to pay someone to remove our ROCKS (pain, frustration, loneliness, bitterness, discouragment, jealousy, etc...)--it usually doesn't work the way we'd hope it would.  So...we must take the time to remove the rocks with the help of our heavenly father who loves us no matter how rocky our garden is.  If we don't allow Christ to remove our rocks, nothing will flourish as it was meant to.  Will we ever get all the rocks out of our garden? No. But, through the many hours and years of repeatedly preparing the land, the soil will become easier and easier to work with and the plants will flourish more and more as long as it is continued to be watered.  Just as our hearts need to be watered daily by the Living Water.

Pain, frustration, loneliness, bitterness, discouragment, jealousy...Those are UGLY words and who wants to be UGLY, right?  I have learned through some of my own "changes in heart" that these feelings are not from God...they are from Satan, the ultimate deceiver.  The more he can get our mind focused on something, the more he can use it to create rocks in our hearts and our relationships.  Then, before we know it...we realize something has been "simmering" in us for so long we don't know how to let it go.  Afterall, we can't just forgive and forget what happened, right? Satan is hoping we'll think it is impossible.

Even though I've heard this my whole life, God reemphasized to me yesterday in the garden that only through Him can all things be made new and beautiful...and only through him are all things possible.  This doesn't just me "some" things--it means ALL things. We may not ever completely "forget" about our rocks, but we can get to a point of forgiveness and change.  I  realized I always need to be willing to roll up my sleeves, get down on my knees and sift through MY OWN "dirt and rocks"--even if it means getting tired, sore, sweaty or ceasing to do something I like to do.  He loves me, rocks and all, and has loved me since the beginning of time.  But He won't do a work in me unless I seek Him, trust Him and WAIT on Him. (Waiting is the hardest!)

In my 33 years of life, I have learned that humans (including myself) will go to great lengths (time and money) to make their outer layer appear more attractive. If we were really honest, do we go to the same amount of lengths to make our inside match the outside? Money cannot buy the type of improvements I am referring to regarding our insides...but time can...Time spent with your Heavenly Father.  I hope you aren't weary and worn out by the dirt and rocks in your life, but if you are...it's never too late to take off your work gloves, realize Satan is trying to have control over your situation and let God, the very first and most experienced gardener, have control of your heart.  True...I don't know what you are going through or have endured in your life and it may be painful and seem too difficult to handle, but with Christ all things are POSSIBLE and MADE NEW. If we do this, we will be rooted in Christ and can grow into the person He has always meant for us to be.