In late spring, I pottered in my beautiful, abundant rose garden. Walking past the roses is fragrant—a time to enjoy lovely blooms and colorful creations. The seasons had turned, a time here in the Land Down Under to prune. As I pruned my beautiful rose bushes, I thought of and appreciated the gardener before me who planted them.
It would be great to plant prayers as we live under Jesus’s mantle. Pruning and staking the plants in God’s garden provides them with the necessary support. I contemplated the wisdom of what Paul wrote: And my God will meet all your needs, according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.
To this grey worshipper, this quote means that Paul’s message is still relevant. I have found that we can always rely on Jesus to provide us with pastoral support. Jesus made a difference in His world and continues to do so in ours. If we keep planting prayers and trying to live under His holy mantle, we can aspire to meet needs and make a difference in the future of humanity.
We worshippers can start in our church, friendship groups, cities, and regions—sending aid to those in need and finding peaceful, prayerful solutions. Sharing Jesus’ message with prayers and alms can build bridges between churches, diverse faiths, and various peoples.
We all need to take small, sensible, and practical steps to assist our little corners of the world. We can keep planting prayers for everyone’s welfare, guided by Jesus’s mantle. Just as I live here, where my simple needs are being met, we can all live on this planet, seeking to share pastoral support for each other.
The riches of God can show every one of us His path to glory. Make sure you live under Jesus’ mantle.
Julie Grenness is a former teacher and catechist who is now a writer of many online articles, mainly for baby boomers. She is also a caregiver for a geriatric and a part-time tutor and mentor of young Australians from many lands. She aims to be a woman of God and to walk humbly in the path of Jesus.