God works in Mysterious ways

Something that I find, frankly, Amazing, Ironic, and too good to be a coincidence recently happened.

If you know me, you may or may not know that for the last two summers, I have been volunteering at the Cincinnati zoo and botanical gardens as a Junior Horticulturist. (gardener)

I love doing it. Working as a gardener at the zoo really sparked an interest in plants that I didn't really have before. I had wanted to work with animals a little more that plants originally, but they required more time, and we have a bit of a drive to the zoo, so I couldn't do that. So I became a Junior Horticulturist. I like nature in general, and plants are a part of that, and I will still be around the animals, so why not?

Occasionally, especially last year, I would have doubts about working at the zoo.I would think "couldn't I be using my time wiser? Couldn't I be working in a soup kitchen, or a crisis pregnancy center, or some other charity, so that I could actually help people directly?"

But then i would go to say my morning prayers. Last year, I Worked at the zoo on thursdays. Guess what the "Short reading" for Thursdays was?

1 Peter 4:10-11
Each one of you has received a special grace, so, like good stewards responsible for all these different graces of God, put yourselves at the service of others. Of you are a speaker, speak in words which seem to come from God; if you are a helper, help as though every action was done at God's orders, so that in everything God may receive the glory, through Jesus Christ, since to Him alone belong all glory and power for ever and ever. Amen

" if you are a helper, help as though every action was done at God's orders, so that in everything God may receive the glory" That part was the part that hit me the most. I would feel a little more encouraged about it and think, well, Right now I am a helper.

So, fast forward to recently. I have been praying a bit about what He wants me o do this summer, thinking that maybe I would volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center or soup kitchen or other charitable organization this year. I still had those little nags that kept asking me, really? The zoo? Is that going to help people in need?

So, We were in Church, and one of the morning announcements was that the person who had been doing the garden work at our Church was retiring, and that they needed someone to take over.

BOOM! There it was! Perhaps this is why I have been working as a garden person at the zoo!

If I hadn't started working there in the first place, I might not have been interested at all. I wouldn't have the same love of plants and gardens that I do now.

If I hadn't worked there, I wouldn't have gotten the same experience with plants that i have now. Sure, weeding and watering are things that everyone can do, But last year they let me prune a Trumpet vine that was growing out of control! It wasn't perfect when i was done, I had never pruned a trumpet vine before, and probably never would have gotten the opportunity to, But it was a good learning experience and I don't think it looked too bad when I was done ;)

So, in order to help me figure out what God wants me to do, I called them today, to find out what was going to be involved.

Basically, It the same stuff i was doing at the zoo! Weeding, Watering, Mulching, Planting, Pruning etc.

The way I see it, It's Like God was training me, through helping to take care of the zoo's gardens, so that I could take care of His!


AHHH! I'm really excited now.

I still haven't completely decided yet, I still need to Pray about it more, but I am leaning more towards helping my Church this year. I mean, I'm going to miss working at the zoo, I got to know a few people and it was fun, but I think this may be what God it calling me to do now.

I am just in awe. God is amazing. I know that He knows all, and that He always has a plan. I beleived these before I started at the zoo. But I surely didn't realize that helping out at a zoo might be part of that!

So there you go! He really does work in mysterious ways, and we may not even realize when!

 And always remember, " if you are a helper, help as though every action was done at God's orders, so that in everything God may receive the glory" ;) :D