The lot was filled with weeds, rocks and broken glass. More than a few people had dumped their trash in the old abandoned lot. To make matters worse, a dilapidated house sat in the middle of the grounds. The house's windows had been broken out years ago. Rumor had it that the house was filled with rats and mice. People went out of their way to avoid this spot, it was hopeless. The only thing that could fix this lot was a bulldozer.

One beautiful spring morning, a lady known as the Gardener walked by the old lot. The weeds were waist high, flies were buzzing around the trash and the house looked as sad as it ever had. The woman paused and then began to walk around the outside of the lot. A few of the town folk watched as she took down several pages of notes.

The word spread quickly through town. The Gardener had, had enough, she was going to demand the city clean up the lot, bulldoze it and plow it under. Why, how could anyone be upset with her, the lot was a blight on the whole town. It didn't matter that it would be quite costly to clean up; the city would just have to find the money. It just wasn't right having a lot like that in their town. Someone had to do something.

Several days later the Gardener walked into City Hall. The clerk behind the desk braced himself for a fight; you see the city just didn't have the money that it would take to clean up the lot. The Gardener walked up to the desk, pulled out her notes and said something the clerk would never forget. She asked, "How much is the abandoned house and lot on 371 Beacon street? I'd like to buy it."

The clerk thought, the rumors going through town couldn't have been further from the truth. The Gardener didn't want to destroy the lot, she wanted to buy it. He looked up what little records they had on the lot and stammered, "There are a lot of back taxes due on the property and it would be quite costly to buy, let alone the cost to clean it up."

The Gardener replied, "Never you mind that, is the property for sale or not?"

The Clerk scratched his head and replied, "Yes Ma'am, the lot is for sale." The Gardener bought the lot.

The Gardener and her husband worked all summer long, clearing the weeds, removing the trash and repairing the house. They planted many different kinds of beautiful flowers and added cobblestone walkways. Out back, behind the house, they added a small pond with a fountain. They trimmed the trees and bushes. The lot that was once an eyesore had become a showplace. Love, time and a little work had transformed the lot. People now went out of their way to walk by the property.

What the Gardener did next surprised the whole town, she hung a sign out front that said "The Garden Center, open to the public, free gardening lessons." She wanted to teach others how to transform eyesores into things of beauty. The Gardener knew the lot could be restored because when she was younger someone else had shown her how to clean up her own lot.

Some people are like the old dilapidated house sitting in the middle of a trashy lot, they look worthless and many people go out of their way to avoid them. It may be the bully at school, or the neighborhood kid that looks a little geeky. The Bible states that we all have trash in our lives. The trash in our life is called sin. The Good News is that none of us are worthless in God's eyes; in fact He is willing that none of us perish. (2 Peter 3:9) God wants us to get rid of the sin in our lives, but we can't get rid of the sin by ourselves. We need to ask Jesus to forgive us and give us a new heart. We become "Born Again" to follow God. Just like the gardener in our story today, we will want to go and share the Good News with others so that their lives can also be transformed by God. Remember, once God transforms your lot in life, you need to tell others about the wonderful work God has done. When you look at others do you see an eyesore or a garden?