Life's Garden
©2004, Janet K. Poludniak
In the garden, roses grow with fragrant beauty rare.
They graciously share their beauty, despite the thorns they bear.
Every garden needs some tending to keep its beauty fair,
lest weeds o'er grow, choking the seeds the Gardener plants with care.
We can complain about the care, the menace of the weeds,
or let Him pull them, carefully, and cultivate the seeds.
There are times our lives seem wrecked when we bear thorns of pain,
and many times, a lovely day seems spoiled by clouds or rain.
But the Gardener smiles lovingly, because He's wise and knows
how all those ugly, painful thorns protect the delicate rose.
He also knows the gentle rainfall that He has prepared
makes the fragrant roses bloom that many a lover has shared.
And so our lives need tending to rid us of sin we bear
‘til we bloom for the Gardener and produce a fragrance rare.
Or like a garden with no care, the sight will soon offend
and weeds will overcome the seeds and choke life to an end.
Then as the Gardener watches, weeds and stubble will be burned;
and we'll surely sorrow in our hearts because His care we spurned.