This morning as I was editing photos of flowers a nursery rhyme came to mind: Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?
It struck me that a garden grows without a lot of effort on our part. Yes, we need to remove weeds and water and feed, but pulling plants up by the roots to measure progress tends to have a deleterious effect. Even pulling out weeds before seedlings are established with their own clear identities will become an act of violence and rip them out of the ground as well.
So often we think of the gift of discernment as the gift of point/counterpoint adversarial doctrinal debate rather than what the Bible calls it: the gift of discerning of spirits. Argument for the sake of argument may work in a science faculty in a university where theories are launched and frequently shot down, but it doesn’t work well in matters of the heart. By heart here I mean the deep longing for connection with our Creator part of us, the place where spirit and soul communicate. Try knocking down a point God is making and see how far it gets you.
Some people can detach themselves from emotional investment in an idea. Most of us can’t. That’s why endless debate over how a Christian grows, who’s in and who’s out or how the mechanism of transferring a person from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light actually works, or the proper way to organize a gathering of believers feels more disruptive to many people than providing them with a loving, supportive, safe environment
and leaving the rest up to God.
Sometimes we need to plant seeds and let Holy Spirit take responsibility for turning them into flowers or fruit.
So my re-interpretation of the song today might be, “Mary, Mary, good grief, girl! How can anything possibly grow in your garden if you have to be so contrary and come up with a counterpoint to debate every single little thing? If it weren’t for grace those silver bells and cockle shells would be a pile of dead dissected seedlings by now.”
He gives us our part to do in preparing the soil, planting seeds, watering, and harvesting the fruit, but it’s God who pulls off the miracles. He says, “Trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time! (Mark 4:26)
Charis: Subject to Change 
really loved your re-written rhyme and analogy !
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Thanks, Deborah. You can always tell when I’ve been frustrated by another
verbal brawldebate, can’t you?LikeLike
Interesting interpretation. I think we DO over-analyse things – usually all the wrong ones! Sometimes a colossal waste of energy, when we could just be as you say providing an environment in which to grow..
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I do believe there are times to confront, but it’s usually in the interest of creating a safe place for everyone. The Lord has been speaking to me a lot about gentleness and kindness lately. I’ve noticed that zeal and aggressiveness are not on the list of fruits of the Spirit.
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Well said. I have been learning some of these lessons, too – it’s hard to find the balance between being truthful an being kind sometimes!
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I think we need to keep going back to the gospels and see how Jesus did it. He responded differently in different situations. Sometimes he confronted, sometimes he diverted, sometimes he avoided and often he ignored the argument and went straight for the real issue –but always with love. God is good.
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Ah, to have His wisdom in every situation. Wait – we DO have access! Now, to remember to use that access… 🙂
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Yes! James 1:5 Amplified Bible If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.
(Does it give away my age that I looked this up in the concordance under “upbraideth not”? Thank God for Bible Gateway!
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🙂 I grew up memorizing King James, and then went to Bible College to learn NIV – and now use another translation. I hear ya about Bible Gateway!!
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I loved it! He does make beautiful things…even out of dust!
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It’s amazing. I watched two people who haven’t spoken to each other in years reconcile recently. No one intervened or pleaded with either of them to forgive (we gave up trying 10 years ago.) God just worked in both their hearts and fruit happened! Simply amazing.
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Thank you Jesus for continuing that interceding on our behalf!
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Thank you, Jesus!
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