A black man, son of a sharecropper, wanted to buy a home in rural South Carolina. The neighbors worried that if he moved next door to them, he wouldn't take care of his house and yard. Determined to prove them wrong, he worked 12 hour shifts, 4 days a week at a can factory and bought a modest home on a few acres in Bishopville, South Carolina. With the exception of attending church, he spent most of his time working in his yard. To grow his treasured garden he went to the local nursery and asked permission to take home the dying plants they had thrown in the trash heap.
The art and beauty this man named Pearl Fryar created with these discarded plants is nothing short of amazing. A self-taught horticulturalist, his 3 acre yard now a famous topiary garden represents one of the most majestic and magnificent gardens I have ever seen. Pearl's garden is a picture of our Redemptive God, the Master Gardener. He seeks the lost and discarded and prunes and trains them to excel beyond their wildest imaginations. The Master Husbandman redeemed me from the trash heap of the world where I lived only for myself. He picked me up, planted me in Georgia and clips away the selfishness, anger, and bitterness that holds me back. He continues to prune me year after year causing me to bear fruit and accomplish things I never thought possible.
Pearl gives us God's perspective on life by saying things like, "There's always gonna be obstacles. The thing is, you don't let those obstacles determine where you go. With our God, "Nothing shall be impossible unto you (Matthew 17:20). So today, welcome the Gardener's pruning. It may hurt for a little while, but the results are worth it all.
"Follow Me, and I will make you" . . .
Make you speak My words with power,
Make you channels of My mercy,
Make you helpful every hour.
"Follow Me, and I will make you" . . .
Make you what you cannot be-
Make you loving, trustful, godly,
Make you even like to Me. *
Pearl and his mastery of horticulture have given him much acclaim. So renowned for his topiary skills, he recently appeared in a John Deere commercial. For more information about Pearl Fryar rent the documentary, "A Man Named Pearl" or visit his website at: http://www.fryarstopiaries.com/.
*Poem from Streams in the Desert devotional by L.S.P. (full name not given)
Picture of one of Pearl's topiaries found at Google.com - Image results for Pearl Fryar
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