An amateur gardener
A wealthy man had a large plot of land which he wanted to develop into a beautiful garden. He had dreams of creating an idyllic place where families in the neighbourhood could gather for picnics, where children could play and lovers could stroll.
As he needed ten helpers to maintain the up keep of the garden, he advertised in the papers. It was a time when jobs were scarce. Many applied. He stroked his chin, wondering how to select the ten most suitable candidates for the job. A myriad of people from various backgrounds had applied. Being a fair and wise man, he did not want to select purely based on paper credentials.
Then an idea struck. He divided the land into many subplots and allocated a subplot to each candidate by way of lots. For each subplot, he had designated the main type of flowers to be planted. Each candidate was given six months to grow their own mini garden. Six months later, the ten best candidates would be selected by guest judges. During this period they would be given a monthly allowance and a small budget for the upkeep of their mini garden.
Among the candidates was a man called Joe. He used to be a carpenter by trade, but had fallen into hard times. For the past few months, his family had been living on his savings which was dwindling fast. Seeing the advertisement was like a beacon in the night . He applied despite having little gardening experience other than helping his wife in their small vegetable garden.He had figured, even if he was not finally selected, at least they could still buy some time by living on the allowance.
The candidates queued up to draw lots. As each man opened his envelop there was a mix of cheers and sighs. One had drawn the lot to grow the lovely tulips, another , beautiful roses, another graceful lilies.
As he awaited his turn, he wondered what would his lot be?
He squinted at the clear blue sky above and pondered
"Anything according to Your will, Lord. For you can turn all things to good even with an inapt gardener like me " He mused inwardly, as he received the envelop.
