Grace Like Gloves

 

 

Fresh morning. Dew drops glistening in sunshine rays. Earthy dirt smell. Bugs busily going about their day.

 

I stepped outside and sized up the small flower bed. My friend needed some help with the weeding, and she wanted to clear a spot for some new flowers.

 

I love flowers! I never used to like planting them though because of the bugs and spiders and worms that you always come across when working in the soil. But my friend needed me, and so I mustered up some courage deep within myself...which wasn't much!

 

 

I tentatively started pulling out weeds and carefully gathered up crunchy leaves and set them to the side. I was on the look out though for any creepy crawlies! I turned up the dry dirt and mixed it up with the rich soil underneath the surface...that is when I had my first scare. As I was turning up a nice spot of earth, a wiggly worm turned up too!

 

I held in my gasp and sort of pushed that worm off to the side, but now I knew I wasn't alone in this garden; who knew what other creatures were watching me?

 

I kept working steadily. I began pulling up the grass from the sides of the garden, which were lined with cool, gray bricks. Bad idea. As I pulled and uprooted that grass an enormous spider jumped out and nearly gobbled me up! I was taken a back that time. I felt shaken up and was not sure if I would be able to continue on at this point. (I am glad my friend was inside and not witnessing my terror!) I took some deep breaths. Now I was afraid. So I kind of just patted and shoved the dirt around with my little shovel, but did not really want to go any deeper.

 

I have good news though. This is when the reinforcements came! Not really, but my friend did come out of her house with a pair of gloves! She had been looking all over for them and finally found them. She didn't want me to get dirt under my finger nails...wheww! She had no idea what I was facing! Dirt under my finger nails! What about giant spiders and monstrous wiggly worms?!

 

I eagerly and very appreciatively accepted the gloves. I am truly amazed at how much easier it is to enter enemy territory with a nice pair of gloves empowering you. You see these same trembling hands that had nearly given up their task just moments ago were now working with such power and strength. You would not have even believed that they were the same hands! Somehow though those gloves enabled me to finish my task and to do it so thorough...I pulled up weeds, turned up the soil, planted the flowers, sent worms and spiders running! Those gloves are something else!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I say all this because as I was marveling at what a difference a simple pair of gloves can make to a timid gardener in training, I also learned a new lesson for my heart. You see I was reminded me of a verse in James which I will copy down for you to read:

 

 

"But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” ~ James 4:6 

 

 

I have always read this verse, but never really understood it completely. But now I have a new perspective. You see as we live our lives for the Lord we are faced with so many things. God has given us a task...much like the task I had in front of me of preparing the little garden for planting. While we go about this God given task in life we also face a variety of things like trials, hardships, temptation, conflict, and so much more. Fear and anxiety could hold us captives forever! And being the independent and self-sufficient people that we are (at least that is how I am a lot!), it is so easy to just try and do it on our own. But when we run to God and seek His help...when we humble ourselves and realize we cannot do this task that God has given us...something quite amazing happens!

God joyfully hands us a pair of gloves. Not really! Actually God gives us something called grace, which is a whole lot like a pair of gloves. Because you see God does not give us new "hands" that are powerful and fearless, He does not give us a new task that is easy and without challenges, and God does not take away the "spiders" and "worms" that send us running. No God gives us His grace, which is like a pair of gloves. His grace covers us and enfolds us in God's power to complete the task He has given us in His power. Those same trembling hands go about the work God has assigned but His grace is what enables those weak hands to do what seemed impossible.

 

That grace like gloves truly transforms our hearts and enables us to accomplish God's work, but first we must run to God and ask Him for help.

 

So may this little lesson I have been learning about grace and gloves and gardening also be an encouragement to you. Don't try to face the spiders of this life without God's gloves of grace!