{"id":3441,"date":"2013-03-06T10:54:25","date_gmt":"2013-03-06T15:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=3441"},"modified":"2013-03-06T10:54:25","modified_gmt":"2013-03-06T15:54:25","slug":"wilted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2013\/03\/wilted.html","title":{"rendered":"Wilted"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"garden\"<\/a>A couple of times a year I must dedicate several days to my garden. \u00a0I have a small yard. \u00a0Therefore, most of my back and side yards are devoted to my garden. \u00a0I\u2019m not consistent enough with my yard work to be considered a true gardener; but I enjoy the fruits of my sporadic labors all year round.<\/p>\n

Often in my pruning and pulling, I find a wilted perennial. \u00a0Usually, there seems to be no reason for the decay of the dying plant. \u00a0In sunny Florida near the ocean, we need water almost everyday for our growing ornamentals; but I\u2019m pretty diligent about providing that. \u00a0Yet, the mystery is that these wilted plants often grow along side the healthy ones.<\/p>\n

\"wilted\"<\/a>In some plants that seems to be a deficiency in their ability to grow. \u00a0They are receiving the same fertilizer and water. \u00a0The share equally with the soil and sunlight; but they remain stunted until they are gone.<\/p>\n

I remember a young man who was raised in a large family. \u00a0He told of an abusive childhood. \u00a0Finally, he left home, rejecting the opportunity to go to college as his siblings had done because he didn\u2019t want to be obligated to his unforgiving and vengeful parents. \u00a0Yet, when you realized that this young man had been raised by godly parents and his six other siblings told a completely different story about their childhood, you knew something had gone badly wrong with this young man; and his parents probably were not to blame. There were obvious distortions in his life.<\/p>\n

\"distortions\"<\/a>As the man has matured, his attitude has improved but not totally changed. \u00a0The distortions in his life remain. \u00a0Wherever he goes, people are making his life miserable. \u00a0Employers fire him for no reason. \u00a0Women break his heart without regrets or scruples. \u00a0Hospital mix up his test results and give him the wrong medications which make him sicker. \u00a0Even though, the man rejected church in his youth, he has returned to his faith; but there is no joy in his relationship with the Father.<\/p>\n

Several weeks ago, I revisited the parable of the talents as told by Jesus in Matthew 25. \u00a0We all remember the three employees who were given various amounts of money from their employer, a business owner. \u00a0They were expected to invest the money. \u00a0The first two did exactly what was expected of them, doubling the amount they received.<\/p>\n

\"money\"<\/a>The third, however, buried his money with this explanation to his employer, \u201cI know that you were a hard man and that you expect growth from investments, even where you don\u2019t invest any money. \u00a0You want more for your labors than you are willing to make an effort to produce. \u00a0Therefore, I was afraid. \u00a0I buried your money and here it is. \u00a0I\u2019m returning the amount you gave to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

His employer was outraged with his employee. \u00a0\u201dIf you knew that I was that kind of employer, why didn\u2019t you take my money and put it in the bank so it would at least draw interest.\u201d \u00a0The employer took away the money and gave it to the employee who had earned the greatest money from his investment.<\/p>\n

The employer explained through is torrent of anger, \u201cFor whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them\u201d \u00a0(Matthew 25:29) \u00a0The employer fired the slothful employee and then had him arrested and sent to prison.<\/p>\n

We know that the employer is God in this parable. \u00a0In reading the Biblical account, we find that the three men had the same employer but two expected goodness from him. \u00a0And that is precisely what they received. \u00a0The third employee, driven by indolence, sluggishness and laziness, expected exactly the opposite from the same man and that is what he received.<\/p>\n

There are those who expect only the worst from God\u2013and that is what they receive. \u00a0Like my wilted garden plant, they never learn to partake of the water, sunlight, warmth and food provided all around them.<\/p>\n

Many of my friends within the mentally challenged community exhibit the exact opposite attitude. \u00a0Their IQ\u2019s a deficient. \u00a0Their bodies may not function properly. \u00a0However, they grow and mature without distortions within their spirit. \u00a0The Lord in his mercy has graciously provided for all of us. \u00a0His blessings abound all during the day and night but often without reason we become overcome by doubts and fears. \u00a0Our spirits wilt in the presence of a gracious Lord.<\/p>\n

My prayer is that I will command my doubting heart know the love of the Lord. \u00a0That I will demand for my whining spirit to look full into the sunlight of his love expecting and receiving the abundant blessings that surround me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A couple of times a year I must dedicate several days to my garden. \u00a0I have a small yard. \u00a0Therefore, most of my back and side yards are devoted to my garden. \u00a0I\u2019m not consistent enough with my yard work to be considered a true gardener; but I enjoy the fruits of my sporadic labors…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,5,20,3,182,40,186,49,16,147,8,85,4,41],"tags":[690,21,688,696,7,699,715,701,694,689,57,6,687,700],"class_list":["post-3441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autism-spectrum","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-disability","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-leadership","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-prayer-2","category-simple-truths","category-spirituality","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-prayer","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-simple-truths","tag-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\nWilted - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wilted - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A couple of times a year I must dedicate several days to my garden. \u00a0I have a small yard. \u00a0Therefore, most of my back and side yards are devoted to my garden. \u00a0I\u2019m not consistent enough with my yard work to be considered a true gardener; but I enjoy the fruits of my sporadic labors…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2013\/03\/wilted.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-03-06T15:54:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/specialgathering.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/03\/garden.jpg?w=179&h=240\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda G. Howard\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Wilted - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"nofollow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Wilted - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","og_description":"A couple of times a year I must dedicate several days to my garden. \u00a0I have a small yard. \u00a0Therefore, most of my back and side yards are devoted to my garden. \u00a0I\u2019m not consistent enough with my yard work to be considered a true gardener; but I enjoy the fruits of my sporadic labors…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2013\/03\/wilted.html","og_site_name":"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith","article_published_time":"2013-03-06T15:54:25+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/specialgathering.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/03\/garden.jpg?w=179&h=240"}],"author":"Linda G. 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