Every garden need some space-fillers, ideally evergreen and hassle free. Meet the humble House Leek, or “sempervivum” to its posh friends.
Easy to grow, can survive dry conditions, needs little maintenance, and happily fills in the gaps in the borders. Unsung heroes! Bright colours, tough as old boots- and every now and again they flower on stalks like triffids, lovely flowerheads resembling pincushions. What’s not to like?
Sempervivums can’t really compete with a glorious rose garden, or a bed of technicolour dahlias. Yet they are surely worth their space in any well-rounded garden.
Unsung heroes- those words remind me of some very special people I have met in churches around the country. I had the privilege of serving churches in several communities: in Sussex & Surrey, Berkshire, Derbyshire, Devon, and Bedfordshire. All of them had “evergreen” members who simply got on with stuff, often behind the scenes, and often vital. Without boasting or complaint, they were faithful and reliable; and they cared deeply for their fellowship. At the heart of their lives was a deep love for God, marked by a quiet devotion to the Lord Jesus worked out in practical ways. The churches would not have coped without them.
Every church needs its sempervivums! They don’t get loads of compliments- but they surely do store up “treasures in heaven” and will be rewarded by the Lord.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6 v19-21 (NLT)
Some people try to be heroes. Not all succeed… and in my experience, those who have pushed themselves to the front have often been the most dangerous!
Give me a dozen unsung heroes and I will change the world! Hmmm. That sounds a bit like Jesus and His band of misfits…
The Reflectionary 