Lessons from the Garden

Today I gardened.  While on my knees, pulling weeds, trimming branches, turning the soil, I thought about what lessons Our Gardener had for me.Here are my key observations:— Caring for a garden is work.  It is not just enjoying beautiful flowers or juicy vegetables. It requires commitment in order to bring the best out of the seeds that were planted.—  Pruning has to occur to stimulate the plant’s growth, even thought there is a cutting and perhaps a “hurting” of the branches. I even had to rip out some unhelpful ground cover.—  Weeds love taking over the garden and need to be managed, dug out on a regular basis. Best strategy — dig them out each day, as soon as they appear, before they get big and tough.  At first I was overwhelmed by the “work ahead of me.”   But then I just went weed by weed, and soon the task was over.  [I finished 2 hours later when the church bells started their noon chimes “For the Beauty of the Earth” — symbolic, no?)—  Digging out a weed requires getting to the root. If I weeded too quickly, I would clip the green weed at the base, but miss the root.  I had to slow down and dig into the soil and scoop out its root if I did not want it to appear again.—  Gardening, and weeding particularly, was easier in damp soil, than dry soil. So I had soaked the garden with water before starting my task, a lesson I had learned from my father.  (“Weeding is best done just after a rain storm,” he taught me.)  That moisture made pulling the weeds, planting the starter flowers, and turning the soil over much easier than if the dirt was dry and packed.I am amazed at how many similarities there are between this experience of gardening and my daily walk with the Lord.Spiritually,  I need to be soaked with the rain of the Holy Spirit.Then I need to be at the task daily and with commitment, taking it one step at a time.Finally, if I really want to put an end to the annoying weed, I must dig down, find the root, pull it out and throw it away. Do you want the garden of your soul to bear fruit?  To be beautiful?  To provide nourishment?  Are you willing to soak in the Holy Spirit?  Will you offer your soul (your “garden bed”) over to the loving hands of the Heavenly Gardener so that He has access to the bitter roots within you?  Will you let Him dig up the roots, trim off the branches, turn the soil of your soul over so that you can be more like Him? I pray this for you, dear Reader:  Lord, help us to apply these helpful hints to our spiritual journey. In Christ,