John 17:11 "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are."

With spring just around the corner, I start to think of outdoor activities. One of my favorites is gardening. Over the past few years, I have experimented with starting my own plants and transferring them to the garden later on. I have learned much from the tomato and pepper seeds.

The first year, I planted the seeds in starting pots and set them on the kitchen counter. I knew that I should start them inside because friends of ours had planted their seeds directly in the garden the year before. Most of the plants never came up, or if they did, they were so overrun by weeds that they couldn't be found. Knowing better, I started them in the protection of the house and anxiously awaited the day they could be transplanted. My eagerness to move them resulted in sudden death for most plants and an extremely slow growth process for those which survived the exposure. As for the fruits of my labor, there were no garden fresh tomatoes or stuffed peppers on my table that year.

Now I do things the easy way. I go to the greenhouse and buy plants that are already well developed, and I wait until the weather is warm and the ground is well prepared. I love fresh produce, and I have learned that patience and care are important to producing a good crop.

Children are much like the tender tomato and pepper seedlings in my garden. They need special care and attention if we hope for them to produce abundant fruit. A child who is exposed too quickly to the harsh elements prevalent in today's culture won't have the same chances to develop solid roots in God's Word. A Christian school is the greenhouse that brings our children to the point of maturity, allowing them to flourish and be fruitful in society.

John 15:4 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me."

One gentleman disparaged Christian education by saying, "These kids need to live in the world, so they'd better get used to it. I don't want them to be hothouse flowers." I know from experience that the fruit of the plants from my greenhouse are well worth the expense of starting them out right. Don't you think that the Master Gardener feels the same way about our children?

Dear Heavenly Father, Master Gardener, please bless us as we seek to educate our youth in the light of your Word. Do protect them and prepare them to bear much fruit for you. Guide them as they move on from our schools and homes to discern wisely and to develop a world-changing attitude. Help them to do it in your name. Amen.