As far back as I can remember, I have always loved to work in the garden and watch things grow. Even as a very little boy, I would pluck the seeds out of the apple I was eating and run outside and stick them in the ground. I would come out every day expecting an apple tree to pop up. After a week, I gave up and went on to more interesting activities!

I've learned a lot since then about gardening and the fascinating process of planting and growing flowers and fruits and vegetables and all sorts of different species of trees. I've learned about the importance of adding the proper elements in the soil to sustain healthy growth, understanding which plants need a lot of sun, while others not so much. The absolute necessity of water, but in the right amounts, and at the right time.

To be honest, it has been tricky for me to enjoy this hobby over the years as I have been confined to a wheelchair most of my adult life. Fortunately, some friends of mine helped me construct beautiful raised beds which enabled me to reach far enough to plant, to cultivate and prune and of course, the never ending pulling of weeds!

Somewhere along the way, I began to see many similarities between my life and this process of working with plants. I started to learn many of God's principles and truths as I gained a better understanding of how to grow things.

An idea came to me that each of us has been designed and uniquely created by God to be some kind of a garden. Something that God would watch over and nurture to not only be pleasing to him but a blessing to others as well. Maybe some of us are flower gardens. Others might be gardens that produce fruit or vegetables. Some of us are highly manicured ornamental gardens, and I think a few of us might even be rock gardens - the kind that just bring peace to those who encounter them.

Unfortunately, for many of us, we might find it hard to believe we are much more than a neglected patch of ground. Even worse – many of us have been abused or forsaken by those who should have been taking care of us. So, we attempt to negotiate life feeling far from being beautiful let alone having much of anything to offer anyone else.

As I have continued my long journey in this wheelchair, I have learned much of God's provision and his desire and ability to redeem things that seemed to have been lost or destroyed. I have learned that God was with me during the most difficult seasons of my life, even when it felt like he had abandoned me. I have learned, in fact, that it was during those very painful times that God was working to create something new and life-giving within me.

It is my hope, as you read this story to your child, that both they and the child within you will learn something of God's heart and his desire to heal and restore and redeem us all. 

The Bible teaches us that God designed each of us even before the world began, and that he has a beautiful and unique plan for every one of us. Unfortunately, we have been born into a very broken world and before we can become what God has designed us to be we all need to be healed and restored and redeemed.

Yes, Jesus is the Master Gardener. The Bible teaches us that he stands at the door of our hearts waiting for us to let him in. It is only after we put our faith and trust in him that he can fully begin his process of turning us into the beautiful thing he had planned so long ago.