I transplanted a jalapeño plant tonight. It’s not something I’ve done before. I had a vertical garden that I had planted a starter in and decided it needed to be in a container of its own. So I put it into the new container.
I gently began working around the soil, loosening the dirt and getting rid of the dead plants in the vertical garden that were surrounding it. I didn’t want to damage the roots, so taking as much time as I needed, this master gardener (that term is used VERY loosely for myself) did not rush the process, instead little by little loosening the plant for its extraction and into the fresh new home that was awaiting her.
When I’m doing things like this, I talk to my plants. I know I’m not alone in this. I tell her how brave she’s being letting me disrupt her work so that I can give her a new location, a better chance of survival. And when I think of these things, I often think of how we, as humans, can be like those plants.
Sometimes, we’re uprooted and we take on new locations, new jobs, or new adventures. It can be quite unnerving starting over with something different. We can be scared and unsure of what it will look like even though we often know that what’s waiting on the other side of the newness is good and fresh.
I know a Master Gardener who has talked to us this very same way. Joshua 1:9 says to us, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
God gently works in our lives, extracting the distractions, moving people or objects or places out of the way. He lifts us in HIS time into more perfect surroundings—surroundings where we can praise Him better or trust Him more. He tells us He loves us and He’s right there with us even though our new or upcoming circumstances can be changing drastically. He does this because He knows that His plan is better. We just have to trust.
I pray, dear friends, that you find the Master Gardener tending to you during a time of transition that you may be having at this very moment. Or perhaps He’s already replanted you into a refreshing new spot that has allowed for growth and trust. Come to the porch and share your story.
~Erin
Iron Porch 