I have never been a gardener; I love seeing the fruits of other people’s labours and admire gardens while out and about. I would love to have the kind of skills to plant and grow and appreciate the fruits of my labours, but I was not blessed in that way. A few weeks ago we had a plant sale at one of my Churches and I decided that I would buy a couple of hanging baskets, my logic was that if they were hung at either side of our lounge window, my wife, who spends most of her time in the lounge, could appreciate the blooms without leaving the room. Thanks to my son and daughter in law who affixed them, plus a further two to the wall, we had four hanging baskets with no effort on my part.
I have done my bit and after being told it is crucial to keep the hanging baskets well-watered, so every morning and last thing on a night I go out and nurture my beloved hanging baskets. Appreciating the beauty of the flowers I went to a garden centre and bought some baskets, bedding plants and compost and planted out some more for down the side of the house.
Many years ago, I worked for people who believed in me at a point when I didn’t believe in myself, they nurtured me, taught me, valued and directed me and I can list many people who shaped me into being who I am today and through that experience many years ago now I learned the importance of appreciating others. Over the years firstly in the world of business and more recently working in the ministry, I have had far more joy nurturing others and seeing them blossom and flourish and become the best that they can be. One of my mentors many years ago advised me that the best way to succeed in life was to surround myself with good people and encourage them to play to their strengths “their successes will be your successes” I was told.
As I water my hanging baskets each day, I do my best to nourish them, I have been rewarded for my minimal efforts, the flowers look beautiful and they cheer my wife and I up, they give me such joy. If we invest time in beautifying our gardens, how much more joy can we have in encouraging other people to flourish and grow.