You might think I’ve gone crazy showing a picture of the hedge.

A pretty normal hedge, nothing much to sing about. But some time ago this hedge was damaged by some drunks and they left a big hole. Try as I might to strategically prune the area each time, trying to encourage the privet to fill in the hole, it never worked. But this year I came to look at it and I noticed that a Cotoneaster has filled in the gap very securely.

God doesn’t just patch you up and fill you with the same stuff that you started out with. He has a greater plan. He completely changes you so that you are someone completely new. That’s what Jesus means by being born again.

John 3:3

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

I have also been doing some pruning in the garden with my son Matthew. We discovered that the huge rose bush has now got it’s first rose this year, but we had to chop through a lot of overgrown growth before we could actually see it. There was much in the garden that needed pruning back and needed clearing out of the way.

Sometimes the oppressor stands in our way. He clouds things over and focusses on the negative that is happening rather than just greeting each moment in Joy. These gall eggs on the leaves stood out and blocked the way to a corner of the garden.

Genesis 3:8

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Clearing the weeds and overgrowth away I was reminded that God is at work and is walking in this garden earth. He is everywhere.

Hidden in the corner of the garden is some wonderful wild flowers growing. I didn’t plant them, they have just grown from seeds perhaps dropped by birds or the wind.

Truthfully we need not to be renewed, but to change. This can only be done when we are baptised and then the gift of the Holy Spirit will come within us and guide us through that change.

I might have been good at many things in the past, but I must be prepared to sacrifice all to become a completely new creature, a new creation through our Lord Jesus Christ. I will go where the Spirit leads me and were I can magnify the Lord. Even if my talents or skills are good in some areas I must be prepared to move on and seek the road the Lord has prepared for me.

Lord, I pray simply that we listen to your Holy Spirit and we prepare ourselves to magnify your Holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen