Lord, I keep coming back to the third letter of John, in which he pray that his readers would be in good health and prosper, even as their souls prosper. I find so much depth in that thought! Our soul prospers when we are fully connected. Like a garden prospers in the right soil and in the right mix of light and water for whatever the particular plants require to thrive. So that brings up a question–since this is not a cookie-cutter planet, and we aren’t cookie-cutter people, and You aren’t a cookie-cutter God, You relate to us differently, don’t You? I’m hearing Ding-Ding-Ding in my head.
Yes! You understand! This could be the real gift of denominations, and “religious practices” — acknowledging that some humans are shade-loving while others need full sun and still others need a mixture. Some humans, like sea oats, thrive in what other humans would label drought, because those other humans require a lot of water. I Am certainly Big Enough to encompass within Myself every human need. It is only natural that like would gather with like. You don’t berate a hosta plant for wilting atop a sand dune! You plant it in the shady conditions that are most suitable for it to thrive.
But what do you humans do? You gather to yourselves others like you and then you make dogma. You decide that yours is the best–or only valid–location in the Garden. You discount others’ experiences as less-than, or flat-out wrong. Meanwhile, those others are harboring the same thoughts and judgements about your group! And all of you think you are the only ones growing to suit the Master Gardener!
So what are we to do, then?
Make room in your heart for all kinds of plants. Let Me be God over the whole Garden. Learn from one another and respect one another enough to allow those different from you to find their way, their perfect spot. Most of all, love one another. Love one another as I have loved each of you, all of you. Love seeks the other’s best. Love rejoices when the other thrives. Love sees the whole garden and each plant in it as beautiful and essential.