Tags
caring, comfort, experience, feeling, God's love, joy, love, sadness
For about 20 hours we have had stormy weather here in Germany, a weather I normally do like. I always loved to be at the seaside, for instance, where I tried to walk or even bike against the stormy wind. Not so today. This spring and summer I planted more than 70 pots on our two balconies and so today I have been watching my beautiful plants partly being destroyed without me being able to do more than trying to fix them with cords, gathering broken branchlets, blossoms and (still) green tomatoes. As I came home from my weekly “big shopping” this afternoon, I saw that the mess had got worse and worse. Whatever I would try to improve the situation for the plants in the following hours, I saw it made no real sense. Eventually, I found myself wearily sitting on my bed where I tried to pray. Very sad, not really mad at God because of the storm, but disappointed…..and feeling completely helpless. Although I tried to reason and comfort myself with saying, “These are only plants…,” I could not get rid of the sadness. Prayer did not help, either.
Suddenly I was reminded of Jonah and the gourd, the plant which provided shade for him against the sun until a worm attacked it so that Jonah suffered in the heat of the sun again. Interesting, I thought, Jonah was angry at God… and I am not, this time at least. It seems to me it is the first time in my life that I am not mad at Him because things did not go the way I wanted. Instead, I felt only sadness and concern for the plants. Furthermore, I suddenly knew that God is God, He can do whatever He wants and sees fit. There is no reason why He should ask us about our opinion, “Do you want me to do this…or rather that?” That would not be our God.
If there is one thing I do know about God, then it is the fact that He cares. Not only for us, no, even for plants and animals. And if something is destroyed, there must be a reason for it only God knows. Jesus told us that we are of more value than the birds of the air (Mt 6:26) and God confirms that He cares about plants, too. He said to Jonah,
“You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” (Jonah 4:10-11 ESV)
Ha! I just realized that my sadness had come from having labored so much in order to make the plants grow. I really love them! Also, it is now clear to me that God loves everything He created. There is NO exception and no human being is excluded!!! Oh, dear brothers and sisters, may we grasp how deep the love of God for ALL of His creation is so that we dare to care for everyone and everything on this earth just as God does. Is that too much to hope for or perhaps too good to be true?
Michael said:
Oh, Susanne! I know how much work you have put into your garden on your terraces. It was sad for me to read this, but your reaction made me happy. God is God, and it is good to see ourselves properly in respect to Him as our loving Father that always has our best in mind no matter what happens.
I had a boss that had a coffee cup that seemed to always be place where I would walk by. I had been wrestling with God about my job and He told me the message on the cup was from Him to me, “Me boss. You NOT!”
Well that settled it. I saw that He was over all things, not men and especially not me.
I love who you are and what HE is doing in your life. Thanks for sharing this.
Michael ❤
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
You’re very welcome, dear Michael!
Indeed, I was extremely sad until I began following his “nudge” to jot it all down. While writing about my experiences, both the sadness began to disappear and the storm calmed down, too. Mere coincidence? Only God knows… 😉
In His love,
Susanne ❤
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Michael said:
Susanne, this is such a good thing to hear! That He has given you peace that goes beyond what the world has sent your way… beyond your circumstances. This is truly His divine touch in your life. I am sooooo happy for you!
Hugs!
Michael
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
You are sweet, Michael! Thank you! 😀
Hugs back!!
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Anna Waldherr said:
Whatever the very opposite of a green thumb is, I have it. Plants wilt at my approach (LOL). But I did mentor children for many years — like tender, little plants, themselves.
One teenage girl (now a grown woman with a son of her own) is like a daughter to me. She has a wonderful, generous heart. Unfortunately, she has struggled with poverty all her life. For some reason, she and her son love me dearly, as I love them. Nothing I’ve done (or tried to do) over the years though has improved their situation much. Despite repeated attempts, she has not managed to complete her education and has gone through long periods of unemployment (not uncommon in the inner city).
This has been a real test of faith for me. I’ve learned that I am not God, much as I might have liked to swoop in and “save” her. I’ve learned that she’s entitled to make her own mistakes (something — not surprisingly — I continue to do, myself). But I am still learning to hand her over to God, and trust His will for her life. She is facing another crisis as I write this.
So, thank you for the lesson, Susanne. I’m sorry you lost your plants after all that effort. When the new heavens and new earth are created, I can picture you surrounded to the horizon with plants and flowers of all kinds. “The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing” (Isaiah 35: 1-2)
With love,
Anna ❤ ❤ ❤
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
I so love your sense of humor, Anna! 😀
Indeed, I was just wondering what the opposite of a green thumb could be… Maybe a pink toe? I don’t know… 😉
Well, I think I know what you were speaking of regarding the girl/woman into who you put so much effort and hope. Many parents know it and wonder why their children do not turn out the way they expected… I think sooner of later the fruit of our efforts will be seen, however, perhaps not the way we thought it should be, yet still according to God’s eternal plan which is still unknown to us. I believe the love you have shown her was never a waste since she loves you back. And love is the greatest gift of all, isn’t it?
As for my plants, well, today I saw it’s not that bad and I could still save a lot of them (although I am no savior 🙂 ).
Wow! The picture you describe of the new heavens and earth with me inside surrounded by nature at its best nails it. That is what I really love! Thank you so much for your sweet comment, dear Anna!
Much love ❤ ❤ ❤
Susanne
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Michael said:
Susanne, as I read your exchange with Anna and thought of how plants and animals grow and rejoice in your presence, I thought of this verse…
“For ye shall go forth with joy, and shall be taught with gladness: for the mountains and the hills shall exult to welcome you with joy, and all the trees of the field shall applaud with their branches.” (Isaiah 55:12 Brenton)
Anna, I am with you. I seem to have the brown thumb disease when it comes to gardening. And then when I do finally get some plants and flowers to grow the deer or the slugs come along and eat them! . 😛
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
I always loved this verse too, Michael. It seems you “knew” it or, rather, the Lord nudged you to write it down for me. 😉
However, I am sorry to hear about your loss of plants by deer and slugs, my brother. Actually, that is one of the advantages to have terraces on the fifth floor which is quasi the roof of our house. Yet I must admit that one or two snails found their way to our balconies, though. It seems they were endurance-trained “athletes”. 😛
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Michael said:
Yes, Susanne, I heard Him tell me to share that specific verse from Isaiah with you. Now consider this passage, if you will,
“For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope, Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, that is, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:19-23 KJ2000)
Wow! Here we read that the creation was made subject to vanity (weakness) by God and this happened as a result of the fall of man. God cursed the ground that man would have to raise his food in and made it bring forth thorns and thistles and a woman’s pain in childbearing would be increased for their sake (Gen, 3:17&18). But creation will be delivered from this bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Somehow it seems that He is saying that as we are delivered from the vanity of our flesh into the sonship of Christ, there is a direct impact on the rest of creation for the better as well. This gives me much to consider. No wonder your plants love you! ❤
It seems that the local deer are enjoying my flower gardens and the nice tender shoots and buds over the gnarly brush that is natural to the area. So, I have been delivering them of their bondage while I abide in the liberty Christ has given me as I garden. 🙂
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Dear Michael,
Indeed, I thought that the deer enjoy a sort of gourmet food when they visit your garden. 🙂 From hence, it is a good thing although you cannot enjoy the beautiful view of the blossoms before they eat them them. Mixed emotions, right?
Yes and amen to what you wrote here,
“Somehow it seems that He is saying that as we are delivered from the vanity of our flesh into the sonship of Christ, there is a direct impact on the rest of creation for the better as well.”
Well, I do not know whether my plants love me, yet I love them and I just came in after having cared for quite a long time for them again, trying to protect them better before the stormy weather today. I can’t help but doing so… 😉
Love ❤
Susanne
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Pat Orr said:
Thank you for the post. I found it very interesting indeed. You have such a sweet love of God’s creation. The sweetness is a blessing to me.
Love in Him,
Pat Orr
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
You’re so welcome, dear Pat! ❤
Mmmhhhh…… You said,
“You have such a sweet love of God’s creation. The sweetness is a blessing to me.”
You have touched my very heart with these words, Pat. Thanks a lot for writing this comment. I am blessed as well! 🙂
Much love ❤ ❤ ❤
Susanne
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Michael said:
I agree with Pat, Susanne, there is something about you that is so in tune with God’s creation… His love that pours out of you and it responds with life.
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Thank you very much for saying THIS, Michael. 🙂
I do know it has been His work that I am so intrigued by everything He has created.
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Planting Potatoes said:
we can relate – last year we worked hard to plant our garden – then a hail storm larger than we had ever had wiped out a lot of plants – but we just gave it all to God as we knew we could do nothing – then we ended up getting more at harvest time than we had in years past – and that is just how God works is it not? 🙂 Sorry for your plants! 😦
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Susanne Schuberth (Germany) said:
Oh, a hail storm, that is bad. 😦
How wonderful, though, that you and your wife got even more at harvest than before. That is indeed the way God works. 🙂 As I wrote in my comment to Anna above, today after some pruning and cutting down, I saw it was not thaaat bad and I felt God whispering into my ear, “I am going to recompense you.” That made me happy although I do not know whether God referred to the plants or whether it was a spiritual promise. We’ll see, finally… 😉
Thank you very much for your experiential report, Mark. That was encouraging to read AND your words confirmed God’s promise to me!
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