Tell Me a Story!

One of my favorite miracle stories involved my wife Marci, or “Guppy” as the grandkids adoringly call her. Her story is almost unbelievable.

While gardening, she noticed some of her flowers drooping. To solve the problem she drove garden stakes into the ground and tied the flowers to them.

Two days later she attended a women’s retreat. Marci went, carrying a burden for a loved one who was no longer following Christ. She shared her burden with a lady on the prayer team.

As the woman prayed for Marci she stopped and said, “I’m seeing something. What are those things in the garden that you tie plants to so they won’t droop?”

“You mean a garden stake?” said Marci. “Yes”, replied the woman. “God wants you to be a garden stake for your loved one to lean on.”

Marci was stunned. God gave a perfect stranger a vision of a garden stake to let Marci know He heard her heart’s cry for her loved one.

Two things I learn from this story: First, God longs to reveal His love to us, sometimes in miraculous ways. Second, He cares deeply about the people we care about.

Perhaps you have been praying for a loved one who is not close to the Lord. You may feel your prayers have gone unheard.

Good news! God loves them more than you do, and He doesn’t want you to worry about them. Maybe He just wants you to be a garden stake they can lean on when their life begins to wilt from the heat and pressures of this world.

Those who trust in Christ are like a well-watered garden, able to withstand the fires of adversity, bearing the life-giving fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Some who are withering will notice our peace and joy in the midst of the craziness, and may ask to know our secret.

That’s when we simply share with them the good news of Jesus and the strength made available through the Holy Spirit.

So relax. Be rooted in Christ’s love and stand there like a garden stake with open arms, ready to embrace the weary and wilted ones God sends your way.

As they lean on you, they will be leaning on Jesus!

“The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11