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Hey ladies.
We are at our third post in the Trust series and our topic today is all about renewal of the heart and mind.
When I think of renewal, I think of a garden after a cold winter. It is transformed by a gardener, into a new and refreshed garden ready for picnics, outside games and short walks during summer.
In order to have my muddy corners transformed into beautiful garden-beds, I have to allow the Gardener to dig into the mud, remove the rotting leaves and pull out the thorns.
I love to think of my heart as a garden. There is parts of my heart that is really muddy, overgrown with poison ivy and filled with rotting leaves. However, there is also parts in my heart where God has cleaned up the mess, creating a beautiful garden-bed filled with roses where God and I can sit together and chat.
In order to have my muddy corners transformed into beautiful garden-beds, I have to allow the Gardener to dig into the mud, remove the rotting leaves and pull out the thorns. The process is messy and painful. It is not a one-day-quick-fix job but the end results are totally worth it.
Contrary to what the world believes, my brain and heart is connected. In order for the neuron-bridges in my brain to be build, rebuild or broken down, I have to first have a change of heart. A revamp of my garden and a transformation of the muddy parts into rose-beds.
The past couple of weeks, I had a revamp of my garden. Thorns that were bringing discomfort, mud that was making everything dirty, weeds that have grown deep roots. All of it has been removed from some corners of my garden.
In order for revamp to have happened, I had to first surrender the garden and allow the Gardener full access to the garden
I had to first surrender the garden and allow the Gardener full access to it because what is a garden without a good, trusted, faithful Gardener? The next step was to allow the Gardener to sweep away the leaves, covering the muddy corners. I had to take up a broom myself and sweep. This was not a lonely process. I could speak to the Gardener anytime and He supported me when my arms got weak from sweeping or my legs buckled underneath me out of exhaustion. Every now and then, I was allowed to take a break, have a sip of water, towel down the sweat and fall back into work with Him.
This thorn bush was the same one that Jesus’ crown of thorns were made of, sticking into His flesh, drawing His blood, torturing Him so that I can now walk freely in this garden with Him.
One day while I was cleaning up the leaves, something pricked me. It was a big, nasty thorn sticking out of a thorn bush. As a drop of blood rolled over my skin, I was reminded of the consequences of sin. This thorn bush was only here because I allowed the small seed of desire to grow into temptation and finally become sin. (James 1:13-14) This thorn bush was the same one that Jesus’ crown of thorns were made of, sticking into His flesh, drawing His blood, torturing Him so that I can now walk freely in this garden with Him.
The Gardener carefully cleansed my wound, binding it up and then He kissed it. He told me that the thorns were only protecting the weeds and their roots but once the thorns were gone, surrendered, it would not hurt as much and that the job ahead was easier.
He was right. I allowed Him to remove the hedge of thorns around the weeds, not one scar being made on His flesh, not one drop of blood falling anymore.Thereafter, He handed me a small spade, helping me to uproot the weeds.
These weeds had intertwined roots, entrapping in them a whole lot of other seeds, dead plants and some insects. The Gardener told me the roots are like lies, entrapping me into the cycle in which I have been allowing myself to fall into for the past couple of years. These lies ranged from petty ones to big, heart wrenching ones. These roots had to be detangled and the seeds, insects and dead plants had to be removed from its claws but this was not the end of these once-trapped objects.
What green fingers He has that whatever He touches, turns into new life, growing new roots and new fruits.
The Gardener’s fingers stroked over the objects and at once, it transformed into living things: the rarest of orchids blooming, butterflies spreading their wings and little fireflies lighting up the garden. What green fingers He has that whatever He touches, turns into new life, growing new roots and new fruits. He planted the once-dead seeds to become a big willow tree in order to provide shade for the hottest of days.
When the heart-stuff was sorted out, then only could He deal with the mind-stuff. No longer did the snares of lies, deceit and hopelessness held me imprisoned in my brain.
This whole transformation started with the simple decision to welcome the Gardener in.
This whole transformation started with the simple decision to welcome the Gardener in. I had to know Him first, know about His reputation and how He works. I had to interact with Him, ask Him to come in and then open the gate for Him. I had to endure the hard work and pain with Him.
I had the choice to chase Him out of my garden at any given time, closing up again and letting the whole garden perish. However, I did not because I was desperate for renewal and change.
He is within me- I am his garden of delight. I have him fully and now he fully has me! (Song of Songs 6:3)
I pray that every woman craving renewal will come to the feet of Jesus and break your alabaster jar of desperation in front of Him, washing His feet with it and allowing Him to renew you. \
Lots of love
Inge xx
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