New Life

There are signs of approaching spring, even with snow and frost all around. The heads of previously planted bulbs are coming up all around our yard "garden" (even the grass part is called the garden). It will be fun to see what kinds of flowers they produce. One of our parishioners, Murdo MacDonald, a retired horticulturist, had asked me when we first moved into the manse if I would be interested in a garden(vegetables and fruit kind). I told him I had never had a garden and he wasn't put off by that, he just said he would help me. There had been a substantial garden on the side of the house in earlier times...and there is a huge fenced off area that is proof of it. He suggested we start with potatoes, as they apparently "clean" the soil. He proceeded to spray a good portion of the garden with "Round Up" to kill the grass that had so thoroughly taken over, and put a big piece of our old manse carpet on top of the sprayed area to make sure it died. He said another parishioner would bring his tractor over in April and plow it up. Murdo has also built us a box for strawberries, as they do quite well here. He said we would need to put netting over the top to keep out the birds. He and Robert recently transplanted a black current bush to the garden area, and we will also plant raspberry and blackberry bushes. I am very excited about Spring's arrival and then the long days of summer. I know I can buy those items at the supermarket, but I think the satisfaction of seeing it come from our garden will be rewarding and exciting. I also know it will be alot of work, weeding and making sure they grow without harm.

Robert and I feel like we are involved in a "garden preparation" in our parish. We have found the "soil" of some hearts to be quite prepared for receiving the Word of God with joy and acceptance. The women's bible study at the manse every Wednesday afternoon is already bearing fruit. One of the lady's daughter told me that she couldn't believe the difference in her "mum" since she has been attending church and bible study. There are others in the parish who have been long neglected, and their hearts are filled with "weeds" of legalism, unforgiveness, and unbelief. Robert has been preaching through the Sermon on the Mount each Sunday morning. Jesus focused on the hearts of people, not their outward religious actions. Here in the Highlands, in particular, there has been such a reaction to "pagan practices" and Catholicism, that many of the ministers have focused on outward practices rather than inward faith and the grace of God. It has resulted in many parishioners feeling like they will never be "good enough" to join the church and participate in communion, even though they have put their faith and trust in Christ as their Saviour. We have encountered this many times here already. We are so aware of our weaknesses and need of God's grace in this place. We want to be instruments of the Great Gardener of Hearts. We want to be available to weed, cultivate, fertilize and plant Gospel seeds that will produce a glorious harvest...all to the praise of Christ. We covet your prayers for us; for wisdom, vision, strength and above all a great love for these people. "For the love of God compels us"(2Cor 5:14).