The little garden?
Spurgeon, "Memory- the Handmaid of Hope"
A child had a little garden in which she
planted
many flowers, but they never grew. She put them
in, as she thought tenderly and carefully, but
they would not live. She sowed seeds and they
sprang up; but very soon they withered away.
So she ran to her father's gardener, and when
he came to look at it, he said, "I will make it
a nice garden for you, that you may grow whatever
you want." He fetched a pick, and when the
little child saw the terrible pick, she was afraid
for her little garden. The gardener struck his tool
into the ground and began to make the earth
heave and shake for his pickaxe had caught
the edge of a huge stone which underlayed
almost all the little plot of ground. All the
little flowers were turned out of their places
and the garden spoiled for a season so that
the little maid wept much. He told her he
would make it a fair garden yet, and so he
did, for having removed that stone which
had prevented all the plants from striking
root he soon filled the ground with flowers
which lived and flourished.
Just so, the Lord has come, and has turned
up all the soil of your present comfort to get
rid of some big stone that was at the bottom
of all your spiritual prosperity, and would not
let your soul flourish. Do not weep with the
child, but be comforted by the blessed results
and thank your Father’s tender hand!
|