Daily Devotional for June 13, 2026
The Garden
“I hate that we don’t have money to do stuff!” Don wailed when he saw his mom in the garden. It was the last day of school, a day he’d looked forward to, but he came home pouting. He sat down beside Mom in a huff. “I love summer, but I hate hearing about all the cool stuff my friends get to do. One of them’s even going to Japan, and his hotel room has an indoor slide! Before they could ask me what I’ll be doing, I ran home. I feel like such a loser!”
Mom kept pulling weeds, then suddenly gripped Don’s arm, looking pale.
“Mom! Are you okay?” Don asked, alarmed.
“I’m just a bit woozy,” she whispered, rubbing her belly. She was pregnant and needed daily injections to protect the baby. After a moment, she smiled as color returned to her face.
“How can you be so happy? You’re sick every day!” Don said.
Mom gestured around her in response. “What do you see in my garden?”
“Weeds!” Don muttered, noticing how they kept cropping up. “They’re so irritating!”
“Besides the weeds, what else?”
“I see…uh…flowers. Oh, they’re finally blooming!” Don passed by the garden every day but hardly noticed the colorful blooms.
“That’s like life,” Mom explained. “When we focus only on the weeds, we miss the other beautiful things around us.” She rubbed her bulging belly. “It’s the same with my pregnancy. If I focus on the discomfort, I’d lose sight of the miracle growing inside me.”
She tapped Don’s chest. “Our heart is like a garden, Don. If you count the blessings you have in Jesus, your heart will be full of flowers. He saved you from sin and has given you eternal life, and He shows His love to you in so many ways each day. Because of Him, you can rejoice. When you do, you’ll be surprised to find yourself being happy for others and their own triumphs. But if you only focus on what they have that you don’t, then jealousy will choke out whatever happiness is in your heart.”
Don sat in thoughtful silence. Finally, he turned to his mom and grinned. “Maybe I’ll help you with the weeding this summer! I’ll take out the pesky stuff and make this garden even better!”
Mom laughed. “That’s the spirit!”
–Kristin Lim
How about you?
Do you compare yourself to friends and feel like they have it better? Maybe they get the latest gadgets or go on exciting trips while you stay home. Don’t let jealousy poison your heart. Focus on the gifts God has given you. The greatest gift of all is Jesus, who died for us so we could have eternal life. No earthly treasure can compare to Him!
Today's Verse
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22 NIV
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