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YELLOW
DAISY BUSH
"We are the clay, You are the
potter..." Isaiah 64:8
When I moved into my house here
in Sun City, I envisioned replacing the gray gravel
"lawn" with all kinds of colorful plants and bushes;
some pink oleanders, bright red bottle brush, and
maybe a few piacanthia bushes. I pictured lots of
geraniums and petunias circling the patio. I might
event try growing some sweet peas along the
fence--they are so fragrant and make beautiful
bouquets for the house, I mused. That was my plan.
When my daughter Peggy came to
visit soon after I moved in, she bought some moss
roses and other pretty flowers which we planted in
large pots to brighten up the place. I said, "This
will do until I can get around to planting permanent
flowers in the ground."
After the weather cooled down a
bit, I bought a yellow daisy bush to plant by the
patio. After raking the gravel from the spot I
chose for the daisy bush, I cut away the plastic,
which was placed under the gravel. I began to dig.
But as my shovel bounced off the dirt I exclaimed
in disgust, "What kind of soil is this? It's like
cement. I decided to wet it down and try again the
next day. Each day I dug down a few more inches and
filled it with water. Can you believe this routine
went on for more than a week?
Finally, I determined the hole
was deep enough to plant the bush. After placing
potting soil and the daisy bush in the ground, I
watered it good and stood back to admire my work as
the sweat ran down my face. Then I prayed, "Oh
Lord, bless this bush and let it take root and
flourish. You created all the flowers and every
green thing to adorn the earth and gladden the
hearts of Your people. I thank You."
A couple of weeks later I was
watching Joyce Meyer teaching a series on The
Potter and the Clay. One of the things she
emphasized was that we must be pliable in order for
God to mold us into a useful vessel. If we don't
become pliable, we end up like useless, broken clay
pots which are discarded in the potter's field.
I happened to glance out the
window at the yellow daisy bush. I cried, Oh Lord,
is my heart like that hard clay ground I had such a
difficult time digging? Is that why I am having so
much trouble adjusting to this new season of my
life. Please soften my heart and mold me into the
vessel You planned that I should be."
I must quit complaining because
things are not to my liking. I must give up control
even if it is scary. I must give up my plans, even
if they seem good, and leave everything in the hands
of the Master Potter. I must humble myself and say
"Oh Lord, You are the Potter and I am the clay."
...
This morning I opened the
blinds in the family room and looked out into the
back yard. The first thing that caught my eye was
the yellow daisy bush, waving in the breeze. It
seemed that the daisies were saying, "Look at me!
Look at me!"
I mumbled to myself, "Oh no!
Is this daisy bush going to be a constant daily
reminder of my need to remain pliable in the
Potter's hand?" After thinking it over, I decided
that God orchestrated this bush-planting to help me.
He knows I am hard-headed and forget easily, so He
gives me lessons that I can understand. Needless to
say, I am not always excited over them.
I think it is fairly certain
that this hardy yellow daisy bush will not let me
forget this lesson any time soon. |
