A Mother's Garden
A tired young mother knelt down by her bedat the end of a stress-filled day
Dear God, I need help and direction from You
to bring up my children Your way
She took her dusty Bible down from the shelf
and wearily started to read
but she drifted to sleep and started to dream
of a garden, ready for seed
She heard a sweet voice speaking loud and clear
My grace is sufficient for you
Just listen to the words I am speaking
whatever I say to you - do
The heart of each child is a garden
and it needs to be tended with care
I will give you all that you require
if you water your own heart with prayer
Warm nurture and firm admonition
are both needed to balance the soil
Come often to Me for instruction and strength
as in their hearts' garden you toil
The next day, she started preparing the ground;
she planned it with tender care
She wanted only the finest of plants
to grow in her garden there
She quickly planted some seeds of kindness
next to her rows of sweet peace
then gentleness and goodness side-by-side
she planted down on her knees
Slow-growing patience, self-control and joy
were all dropped in, one-by-one
When she added true faithfulness and love
she thought all her hard work was done
Suddenly weeds appeared in the garden,
just when her seeds began to sprout
so she carefully wielded the tool of faith
and dug the harmful weeds out
Then she nurtured and watered the seedlings
with the thirst-quenching Word of God
She staked her young plants with hand-woven cords
as they struggled to break through the sod
Just as her Lord had promised that night
she never was left all alone
He showed her the way and He guided her hand
as each tiny seed was sown
At last it was time for the harvest
the mother had given her best
The hearts of her children were fruitful for God
and she was eternally blessed
~ Connie Faust
