It’s that time of year again –
the time when we divide the plants
that return year after year.
We take a healthy, sturdy plant
and divide it into several
(or sometimes many!)
smaller plants.

That’s what we’re doing today –
dividing our Black Eyed Susan’s.
At the moment,
they’re just hefty, leafy clumps.
We pull and cut them apart
and, after a while,
dozens and dozens of tiny plants
lie on the grass,
ready to be planted.

Most of the plants
divide cleanly
but every now and again,
a wee plant gets damaged
and is lost.

When this happens
Paul is devastated –
every … single … time.

Dozens of wee plants
lie waiting to be planted.
Is one wee lost plant
really that important?
Well, it is to Paul
who laments the loss
of even the tiniest plant.

And that’s sort of how it is
with God.
He loves every single one of us
deeply.
No matter how old or weak
or insignificant we might be
in the eyes of others,
we are precious, loved and cherished
by God.
He wants each one of us
to be saved.

Each of our Black Eyed Susan’s,
so terribly important to Paul
and each one of us,
so precious to God.

I can’t help feeling
that dividing those plants
has given me a wee, tiny glimpse
into the infinite love
that God has for us.

Isn’t that amazing?

© Claire Murray, 11th March 2026