I WILL TEND YOU

Nola Smith"

Wed, 24 Sep 1997 08:05:09 -0700

Steve,

Last night during the last song . . . I saw [this] unfolding picture:

I saw a courtyard just outside a palace. In the courtyard was a beautiful garden. It was a hot and sunny day and it was obvious that the garden had been without rain for some time, not long enough to do any real damage, but long enough to make all the plants "thirsty", some just beginning to wilt.

I saw a staturely Man enter the courtyard/garden from the palace carrying garden tools and one of those large sprinkler watering cans full of water, and He went to his knees at the first row. There were plants of various kinds, and at different stages of maturity. He was very tender and patient as He began to work with each one. He would dig around and churn up the soil a bit on one, then pour water on the thirsty plant, move to another and do the same. Occasionally He would notice a mature plant that appeared to be root-bound, so He would pull it up entirely, shake the dirt off it, separate the root structure, dig a deeper, wider hole, pour water in the hole, then replace it and sprinkle water on the plant itself. It seemed as though each plant could hardly wait its turn to be tended by the Master, especially needing a good "drink" from the watering can. Sometimes He would thin out an entire row, which meant that a number of the plants had to be uprooted and moved, spaced further apart than they had been. Again, He'd loosen the soil for each one, then replant it and pack the soil firmly around the base and water it. The thing that stood out to me was the tender way He handled each plant and took pride in each one's growth, even the tiny seedlings that only needed watering. Where He found a mature plant bearing ripe "fruit", He would pick it and smile, pleased with its appearance and aroma, and put it in a basket. These He would leave in place to continue bearing food.

It was very quiet, there was no wind, just the heat of the sun, but the Gardener didn't seem to mind the heat, there was so much pleasure in tending the Garden. He did not ignore a SINGLE plant as He worked through the Garden, plant by plant, row by row.

The Lord said to me, "The times between "corporate" rainfall sometimes go longer than you want and you get dry, and the sun gets hot. You feel so thirsty and begin to wilt, but I won't let you die. I will come to you individually and I will tend and water you. 'Everything that can be shaken will be shaken and I will shake both heaven and earth' - those of you that are mature enough to handle it, I will shake and re-plant. I will shake your root structure, I will separate and clarify its parts, and place you deeper and wider into the soil of My Word. I will pour the water of My Spirit in the hole before I soak you, then I will replant and pour more water upon you, enough to satisfy you thoroughly that you may last until my next personal visit or until the next shower of rain. If you feel secure being close to those around you, I may put some distance between you and your neighbors so that you might flourish more as you reach deeper and wider into Me. Allow your roots to go down deep and spread out so that your stems and leaves will grow taller and stronger, 'that you may bear much fruit and that your fruit may remain'. Entire rows will be uprooted and re-planted only to continue in maturity from where they left off, again for the purpose of flourishing for the Harvest.

Lord, thank You for showing me what You are doing. Thank You for individually tending ME, doing what I need to bear fruit (or more fruit), to flourish in Your garden, to bring you greater joy and pleasure, and to feed the world.

In Him,
Nola