Letter to a Little Princess
Dear Princess,
Spring was coming to King Jesus’ fields and orchards. One fine morning all the princesses and princes were sent out to work in the old garden plot. Princess Precious tied her work apron over her golden gown of obedience, then helped little Joy with hers. She liked to work outside with the Gardener.
“I wonder what we’ll do today?” Precious wondered. Last year they had planted daffodil and crocus bulbs, which were just now showing their bright faces along the walks. Joy couldn’t help bending over to admire them.
“Aren’t they pretty?” she said. “I hope we can grow some more!”
“Yes, let’s ask if we may.”
When they caught up with the others, the Gardener was passing out shovels, picks, and hoes. As soon as Prince Valiant spied them, he grinned. Precious took the hoe she was handed and stepped over to her brother. “What are we going to do?” she asked.
“Dig in the mud. Yippee!” He thrust his pick into the grass.
Precious wanted to ask why, but the Gardener was speaking. “All the boys start chopping up the ground on the other end. The girls can begin raking out the rocks and digging out the weeds with me.”
Joy’s little rake was soon furiously scratching, and Precious began chopping at the weeds. Chop. Clunk-clop. Her hoe bounced off a rock. This was hard work and Precious didn’t enjoy it. She wished she could be planting something at least. But if she must, she must. Clop-chop. Chop-clop.
“Here, Precious—this way.” The kind voice of the Gardener broke into her dull chopping. He took her hoe and tipped the blade to dig in behind a little green thistle. “See here?” he said. “Aim a hard blow in the back and it’ll lift out without much work.”
Precious managed a little smile. “Thank you, but Gardener, why do we have to weed? Can’t we plant flowers like last year?” The Gardener chuckled and picked up a clod of dirt. Joy’s rake had stopped and she came closer.
“Could a flower grow in that?” He asked. The girls looked at the hard, rocky soil and shook their heads.
“And the weeds don’t help either, I guess,” Precious said, feeling a little ashamed. “But hoeing is such tiring work.” She sighed. Joy sighed, too.
“Would you girls like some work gloves?” Gardener reached into his pocket and produced two fine gray pairs. “The King designed them to encourage workers.” Precious slipped hers on, then held up her hand to read the words: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” (Philippians 4:13) in green letters.
“Look at mine!” squealed Joy. Precious read the sunny writing: “The Joy of the Lord is my strength,” and smiled. Working would not be half so bad with these on!
The other children were coming over now and each one was handed a pair of the lovely gray gloves. The Gardener seemed to have an endless supply, each with bright-colored writing. Precious was wondering how many there were when Valiant spoke up. “Where did you get them, Gardener?”
“From the King. They are called Faithful Promises. He has chests and chests of them, so never fear to ask for a new pair when these wear out.”
It was a smiling group of children that went to work after that. The sunshine flooded the garden patch and merry voices and laughter soon joined the bird songs. “Surely King Jesus cares about us very much,” Precious thought as she bent over her work once more. “I want to work for Him and please Him all I can.”
With love,
Aunt Faith
