Lessons From The Garden

Have you ever caught a glimpse of God in the mundane? I’ve discovered that’s quite often where I find Him. One particular day it happened while I was weeding my strawberry beds. 

Our weather had finally started to warm up and as a result, trees, shrubs and grass that had been dormant for months had started to wake up.  Weeds appeared out of nowhere and I wanted to take care of them before they got out of hand.

A few weeks prior I had likened marriages to gardens at my Bible study group.  As wise wives I feel we should take care to tend/nurture our relationships. I encouraged those in my group to:

Tend your gardens. Plenty of ladies would love to work your ground. Plenty of weeds choke our energy and passion for our loves. Use words that nurture, like water on parched ground. Forgive often, tilling the ground to prepare it for new growth. Have a sense of humor. Laughter is good for the soul just like sunshine is vital for photosynthesis. Tend your garden because it’s a precious gift.

When my garden gets out of hand.

 As my hands were in the dirt my analogy came back to me. It began to unfold and apply to so much more than my marriage. Four main points came to my heart: boundaries, kinds of weeds, tools and regular maintenance.

Boundaries

It’s important to have good boundaries in our gardens; without them, the grass creeps in.  This is so evident in my strawberry beds.  One of my raised beds has imploded since my many children have used it as a balance beam allowing the Bermuda grass to march in. Grass growing where it’s not welcome can be overwhelming, hard to remove, and it spreads quickly.

My broken down bed.

This is also true in our spiritual life.  Boundaries help keep enemies out of our space.  A big threat to our spaces is the secular culture we live in. As Christians we’re not supposed to be “like” everyone else. Romans 12:2 encourages me to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

I help to shape the culture of my home. In my entryway I have scriptures posted. Philippians 4:8 has always been one of my favorites, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is

excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”   What we think about has a way of soaking into our hearts. I love that verse so much because it reminds me of my own dad and all the times he would admonish me to “guard my heart.” When I was 17 I didn’t realize he was covering me with Proverbs 4:23. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Now I understand what he was telling me and because of that I try to humbly and authentically walk out my faith in full view of my children, telling them, “The Bible says this,” and “God wants us to be that.” I’m usually answered with a chorus of eye rolls, but that’s ok because I’m planting seeds of my own in their hearts.

Kinds of Weeds

Showing my guys where strawberries 

come from. 

Bermuda grass is not the only weed in my strawberry beds. I’m not a horticulturist, so my name for weeds is not extensive.  Luckily, you don’t need to know their names when you’re pulling them. Some weeds grow right under and into my strawberries.  That can be tricky.  Some weeds have an easy root system to pull out, but they take up massive surface area.  Some weeds have already gone to seed and run the risk of spreading their spores when pulled. 

Some weeds in my life can be idleness or procrastination.  These are easily pulled, but can take up a lot of surface area or time in my life.  The weeds of pride and self-sufficiency can often get caught up in the “fruit” of my life.  These can be trickier to pull and run the risk of damaging what I’ve worked hard to cultivate.

The weeds that go to seed before being addressed can manifest as hurt and frustration in my life.  If I’m not careful when uprooting them, they may spread to other parts of my life or into lives of other people.  Gossiping about people who have wronged me is a great way to spread those pesky weed seeds.

Tools

Gardening gloves is the first tool to come to mind. I don’t have a spiritual likeness, they’re just handy for saving a manicure.  No one wants to see dirty fingernails.  I also want my hands to stay soft for comforting my babies.  Oh wait! They could be like my spiritual armor, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12 KJV) When I’m operating in the spiritual, leaning on Jesus for strength and protection, He fights for me. When I’m letting God fight my battles, my hands don’t get dirty.

A good hoe is a useful tool. The one I have has a pointy end and is really sharp. You can use one side of it to scrape up those annoying tiny weeds. The pointy tip can root out the larger ones.  In this analogy the Bible is the hoe. ”All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16)

Bounty from the garden.

Regular Maintenance

Regular maintenance is vital to any healthy garden or healthy life, even though it’s tedious and annoying at times. In the spirit of full disclosure, my garden beds can get pretty natty.  My prayer life can get pretty barren.  I’m so grateful that the Master Gardener of my life is patient.  He does not want me to be happy with the status quo. He wants me to live up to the potential He knows is in me. 

The same is true in all our lives.  It’s true that Jesus loves us so much He died for us, so that none would perish but have eternal life.  Too many people are happy to leave it at that.  To stay there requires nothing more from us; but, to have the abundant life He has planned for us requires a little work. We’re told over and over again to repent, or turn from, our sins. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”                       (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Pruning is also an important part of maintenance. Removing the dead ends allows for new growth. Moving across the country went beyond a pruning to a full transplant.  That was seven years ago. The growth that I’ve experienced has been exponential and I give Him the Glory for that. Verses in Ephesians 3:20-21 have been water to my soul, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen.”

May your gardens be fruitful and full of the Lord’s blessings.