Planting Season [Devotional]

Mary stood weeping outside the empty tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."  When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ " Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her. (John 20: 11-18)

When Mary Magdalene sees Jesus risen from the tomb, she mistakes him for the gardener and begs to know where Jesus' body was taken.  Then Jesus called her by name and says, "go to my brothers and tell them what you have seen."  Jesus said go and tell, and Mary announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord!"  Go and tell is our job description, too.  Our friends are waiting to hear about why we believe, yet we hesitate to speak for fear of offending.  Our faith in the living God shouldn't be the best-kept secret in our lives.  If we are silent, how will others hear? 
It's our turn to be the gardener.  When we tell the story of God's activity in our lives, we plant the seeds of faith in someone's heart.  God will send the sunshine and rain to help that faith to grow. 

Prayer for today
God, give us to courage not only to see you in the people that we meet, but to remember that you live inside of us, too.  Help us to be brave and to share the good news that you have sent into our lives, the news of the grace and love that you shower upon us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.