“I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to make you strong”
(Romans 1:11)
The bright, cheerful – looking marigolds have long been one of my favorite annuals. They bloom in my area from May through October in just about any soil or situation. In the fall, when I clean up my vegetable garden, I scatter the marigold seeds around; and up they come in the spring.
Why do I grow them in my vegetable garden? Aside from the fact that they are decorative, they are protective. They rid the soil of nematodes and Mexican bean beetles, and various harmful insects dislike them.
In addition, they are a natural remedy. Marigold tea made of solid yellow or orange petals settles nerves and helps a person to sleep if taken an hour before bedtime. Dry blooms may be dried further by laying on thin white paper in a shallow box. Petals may be saved for tea or crushed and used as a herb in salads, omelets, hamburger, and stuffing, and with roasts, beef, and chicken. Thus used in food, the petals are said to kill certain germs in the body. Mixed with Vaseline or cold cream, they make a salve for wounds.
Life Lesson: Biblical perspective on the end times
Experience It: Living in the power of the Holy Spirit
As I think of the protective qualities of this hardy plant, I’m reminded of the solicitude the Apostle Paul had for his fellow Christians. He wrote to the Christians at Rome, “I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to make you strong” (Romans 1:11). Paul cared about their sorrows and burdens; he earnestly desired that they would be knit together in love and come to know and experience the riches of God.
How our fellow Christians today need that same solicitude! In many churches less than 50 percent of those on the church roll attend. The others have fallen away for one reason or another. I am astonished, and saddened also to hear how many marriages of Christians are falling apart! Our young people today, as well as adults, are assaulted by temptations and devilish mind defilers that many of us of the older generation never dreamed of, because in former times society as a whole upheld certain moral values.
Do we care what happens to our fellow Christians? I think that being a writer of personal experience stories has greatly burdened my heart for those who fall away. For I have heard tales of how badly lives, marriage, and children have been hurt in such cases. If we can just help one person keep from going astray, or help one to come back to the Lord, we might save a world of misery, or we might even save a life.
If you have not been a marigold type of Christian up to now – one, that is, who is caring and protective of your brothers and sisters in Christ – why not ask the Lord to lay on your heart someone who may need your solicitude and help?We can not only help those who have fallen away, but also those who need comfort, encouragement, and physical or spiritual aid. Oh, how we need more marigold Christians! Joy fills a marigold Christian’s heart like a sunbeam and shines its light into the hearts of those who need it.
Related Links:
A Wife Gives Thanks:
http://www.retirementwithapurpose.com/wifegivesthx.html
About the Author
This article was written by Muriel Larson. You can read more about this author by clicking this link:
http://www.talk.thelife.com/muriel-larson/
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