Who do you know who spends a lot of time gardening? In order for plants and flowers to survive and to grow, they need to be tended and cared for don’t they? I find myself out early in the morning watering and taking care of our gardens. If it is especially cold or windy, I bring planter pots indoors to protect the flowers. Some people were covering tender plants overnight because of the recent threat of frost. If care is not taken, then the plants and flowers in our gardens will not do well. A long stretch without rain will see plants drooping and drying out if they are not tended with care. All of this creates for us a picture of the ways our God cares for us. He knows that we like tender, fragile plants need care. God notices the care we need and He is willing to provide that care because we matter a great deal to Him. We can read in Scripture from Nahum 1:7, “The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.” We smile when we see our gardens doing well and when we and others can enjoy the beautiful colours and fragrances. God smiles when He cares for those who trust in Him and then sees the beauty of lives committed to Him and trusting Him for what is needed. Thank you for pausing tomorrow Wednesday June 2nd at 1 pm for our WEDNESDAY PRAYER TOGETHER. We will pray and thank God for His constant care for us. We will also pray for God to guide us in the ways He wants us to care for each other because we belong to Him.
Praying God’s loving care made real through us, Pastor Lola
Thank You Creator God for the pleasure to be found in gardens and with the beauty of the wide variety of plants that grow. Thank You that we can enjoy time spent in our gardens and that we and others are blessed when plants are cared for and tended. Our God, we are grateful for all the ways that You care for us as we trust You and depend on You. Just as we know that our gardens need consistent care, we know that we need consistent care. You provide care for us because We know God that without Your loving care, we will not grow to become who You intend. We think of the care needed for a garden and of the constant care that we need. You are good to us God. You are for us a refuge in times of trouble. We think of all the ways that You care for us. Sometimes we do not recognize Your compassionate care. Forgive us for the times we assume that we can look after ourselves. We do need to be tended by You. We need to be nourished by Your Spirit. We need to have the thirst of our souls quenched by You. We pray for others who need to be cared for by You. We pray for those who have not yet recognized their need for Your care. We offer our prayers for those who have been trying to manage the stress and strain of this pandemic without You. Thank You God that any of us who need Your care and tending can turn to You to provide this for us. And God we believe that You have placed us in this world to care for each other. When our time is exclusively given to our concerns and needs, forgive us for overlooking others who need Your care expressed through us. When it would be hard for someone to trust that You are there for them, may our lives make that possible for them to trust. God please widen our vision in recognizing that every person matters to You. We offer our prayers at this time for those and their families and communities who have been wounded by experiences of residential schools. Our hearts have been extremely disturbed by the news of the 215 children discovered at a residential school site there in Kamloops B.C. We think of the pain all across Canada that has been caused by these institutions. We acknowledge this pain and distress and we pray for how you want us to demonstrate Your care and compassion for our First Nations people. Perhaps we are being asked to understand caring for others in broader ways. When we feel uncertain about what we can do to care for people as You do, please show us. When we find ourselves held back by what other people will think, please release us from that concern. Our God, we remind ourselves now that you look on us with such love and grace. How will our regard for people mirror Yours? Please show us where You want us to change our perspective and our definition of care. We ask You to expand our understanding of what it means to tend and to care for those whom You love so deeply. Thank You that our world is a garden of possibilities for what can grow in us and those around us when Your loving care is experienced. We want to give ourselves to offer care as You care for us. In Jesus’ Name. AMEN.