Growing a Beautiful Garden

Bible Reading: PROVERBS 16:23-24; JAMES 3:9-12

“Better hurry or you’ll miss the school bus!” said Mom.

Carmela quickly finished watering the hydrangeas and roses she had planted in her garden. How pretty they looked! Carmela loved to help things grow. She put down the watering can, ran inside for her bag, and hurried out the door.

Spotting Ana just ahead, Carmela ran to catch up. “Hey, let’s sit together!”

“Not today—or ever!” snapped Ana as they hopped into the bus.

“What’s going on?” asked Carmela. But Ana just shook her head and sat down beside their friend Lily.

Carmela thought back to the last time she had sat with Ana. What had she said to her? Carmela tried to remember. Whatever it was, it must have upset her.

At school, Carmela sat down in the hallway next to her friend Kristen. A new classmate named Suzie sat nearby. Carmela pointed at Suzie. “Did you see the new girl’s hair, Kristen? She has three different colors—it’s so weird!”

Kristen rolled her eyes and got up to go to class. Suzie had heard it too, and her face turned red as a strawberry.

During lunch, Carmela sat where she usually did. But nobody joined her. When it was time to go home, the bus ride was a lonely one.

That night, Carmela dreamed she was in her garden, and every word she said came out of her mouth as a seed. When they fell to the ground, some of the seeds grew into the most beautiful flowers. But the seeds from some of her other words produced big, ugly weeds.

The next morning, while working in the garden with Mom, Carmela told her about the dream. “It made me see how I’ve upset my friends by saying hurtful things,” Carmela said.

Mom nodded. “The Bible says our tongues have the power of life and death. Since Jesus has given us new life, we need to put that life into our words. The things we say should sow seeds that help grow a beautiful garden in our relationships—not weeds that hurt the other plants.”

“I need to pull those weeds by apologizing to my friends tomorrow,” Carmela said. “And from now on, I need to be more careful about what I say.” CAROLINNA STEVENSON

How About You?

What kinds of seeds do you sow with your words? Do they grow flowers of friendship—or weeds of hurt and anger? If you know Jesus, He has planted a beautiful garden in your life. If you’ve been sowing weed seeds, tell Jesus and ask for His forgiveness, and apologize to those you’ve hurt too. Then use your words to grow good things.

Today’s Key Verse:
PROVERBS 18:21 THE TONGUE HAS THE POWER OF LIFE AND DEATH, AND THOSE WHO LOVE IT WILL EAT ITS FRUIT. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Grow good things with your words