She was a compulsive gardener. She grew impossible things from seeds and from cuttings. Every space in her yard was crowded.
“I need more space!” she cried, phoning her friend, Grace.
Grace owned a spare block of ground alongside. She had the block cleaned and set out in gardens and gave it to her friend. Yes, gave it, title deed and all. Not only that, but she offered an adviser, free of charge, any time the gardener needed help.
The gardener was thrilled and so grateful. She expressed her thanks profusely. She often followed up on the phone to say how grateful she was.
A year later, Grace called back to see how the block was doing. It was doing nothing. There were weeds growing where she had left garden beds ready for planting.
She called in on her friend and again the gardener expressed her thanks and said the block was exactly what she needed.
Another year passed and Grace visited. Still the block remained untended and now it was covered with wild briars.
“My dear,” Grace said to her gardener friend, “surely you know that you need to tend the block? The law of gardening says you need to weed and dig and plant and water. If you don’t, the block is of no use at all.”
“You mean,” the gardener shook her head in disbelief. “I need to obey the law of gardening? But that means work!”
“Yes,” answered Grace with a wry smile. “But the law of gardening is good. Obeying also gets you the Adviser I promised you! When law operates through the gift you have been given, you enjoy working. Without it, you make cheap the gift of Grace!”
(The law – Romans 7:12: the Adviser – Acts 5:32: the Gift – Ephesians 2:8.)
Elizabeth Price