God’s love and a rhubarb patch

We have lived here in the Midwest for about nine months now. We so enjoy this home God has provided for us. It has many things that we have wanted for quite a time. I think we especially appreciate it because a year ago we were in such a different place, and because the road getting here was rockier than we had anticipated.

But now we are enjoying our first spring here. Walking through the yard is almost like an adventure - seeing what is growing where. We are beginning to work on our garden - our first ever. A few weeks ago the family was listing things we’d like to have in the garden. Rhubarb came to my mind. My mom always had it in her garden, and I remember the pies and coffee cakes she used to make with it. Jim and I only have had it a couple of times in our married lives. Some of our children don’t even know what it is.

So rhubarb was definitely on the list. I didn’t know too much about growing it so I started gathering some info on it. I knew it was an early plant, and I had it in my mind to look for it to buy it and get it started. But that just never got done. A little time had passed and as I was walking around the yard one day, I noticed a rhubarb plant growing. Well, actually four now! I felt like God had looked down on me and smiled - and gave me a gift of rhubarb plants.

I hope you don’t think I’m crazy. There have been other times in my life when I felt God gave me something just because He knew it would make me happy. It brings to mind Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” I was taught once that means that when we become Christians, our desires change to be in line with God’s will and thus they will be granted. Yes, as believers our way of thinking changes. Our priorities and desires change. “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” (.Romans 8:5) I can agree with that interpretation of Psalm 37, but I think there’s more to it than that. I believe that God gives us things sometimes just to make us happy. Even little things, the things that mean so very little in the scheme of life and eternity.

“Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s… For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.” (Psalm 103:2-5, 11-13) God does some pretty major things for us in these verses. He forgives us, heals us, and redeems us. But He also satisfies our desires with good things and renews our youth. He loves us and has compassion on us. His compassion is just like a father’s - but even better because His love is holy and perfect. “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9-11)

He gives good gifts. Just like we enjoy seeing our children happy, I believe God likes to see us, His children, happy. No, He will not give us everything we want, because sometimes what we want isn’t right, or isn’t good for us, or the timing isn’t good. He wouldn’t be a loving Father if He gave us all we ever wanted whenever we wanted it. But He pleases in giving us gifts - temporal as well as eternal.

I’m not saying that God created rhubarb to sprout in a place where it had never been before - but I’m not saying He didn’t, either. I just think it’s pretty awesome to look outside at my rhubarb patch, and feel how God loves me. “The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.” Psalm 145:17