WENDY is a little friend of mine. She has a little plot of ground her Daddy gave her in which to make a garden.
For the first few weeks Wendy gave great attention to her little garden, watering her plants and pulling out the weeds. But after a while she became careless and was more interested in playing with her friends than looking after her garden. The watering and weeding were neglected, her flowers drooped and died, and the weeds grew tall and choked the rest of the plants.
So it often is with the garden of the soul. When boys and girls are newly saved, they are very attentive to reading the Word of God and to prayer by which their souls are watered. They are careful to root out evil habits and nip off bad companionships which are as weeds to the new life.
But alas, some become careless, and the watering and the weeding cease. The fruits of the new life wither, their first love grows cold, and sometimes old habits and old companions are loved again. Do you know any one who has such a garden?
I know some bright young Christian boys and girls who go on waring and weeding, and the result is that they grow happier and brighter as the years go by, just as a well-kept garden blooms and bears fruit better year after year.
See to it, dear young Christian friend, that you do not neglect the watering and the weeding in your life.
ML-11/03/1974