Why the garden?
I don't normally go out in the morning to water my flowers and plants. In fact, every time I bring home a new plant my husband asks "what did you buy that for? You're just going to kill it", which, in most cases, is true. My only saving grace is that most of the flowers I buy are seasonal, so when I kill them, I can always give the excuse that they were just going to die anyway :) I love the idea of a beautiful garden. I love to buy the flowers and put them out, but then when it gets hot out, I hate going out to water them! But I got up early this morning and exercised which made me feel good, and that combined with the absolutely perfect morning made going outside irresistible.
As I watered and pruned and pulled weeds, I began to think of the very first garden. Of all the places on the earth that God could've put the first couple, why a garden? Why not the beach? Or a rain forest? Think of all the 'exotic' places in the world that we know of today, all those destinations of which we dream of taking a vacation. Why not put them in one of those places?
There's just something about a garden. It's not just a place that's beautiful, but it's also a place that you can nurture. You can grow things that reproduce themselves. You can eat of the fruits of your labor. There's some sense of great satisfaction in planting a bulb and then see a beautiful flower grow from it. From planting a seed and eat the apple that came from that seed. It's not like farming. It's not a crop that you labor with and then sell. It's not an end to a means, not something you do for someone else's benefit.
It's something that produces a quiet peace. A place where the glory and majesty and awesomeness of God is evident. Something about being in the garden in the morning, while the world is just waking up, the birds are singing, the dew is on the ground, is medicine to your soul.
"I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses. And the voice I hear, falling on mine ear, the Son of God discloses. And He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own. And the joy we share, as we tarry there, none other has ever known".
As I watered and pruned and pulled weeds, I began to think of the very first garden. Of all the places on the earth that God could've put the first couple, why a garden? Why not the beach? Or a rain forest? Think of all the 'exotic' places in the world that we know of today, all those destinations of which we dream of taking a vacation. Why not put them in one of those places?
There's just something about a garden. It's not just a place that's beautiful, but it's also a place that you can nurture. You can grow things that reproduce themselves. You can eat of the fruits of your labor. There's some sense of great satisfaction in planting a bulb and then see a beautiful flower grow from it. From planting a seed and eat the apple that came from that seed. It's not like farming. It's not a crop that you labor with and then sell. It's not an end to a means, not something you do for someone else's benefit.
It's something that produces a quiet peace. A place where the glory and majesty and awesomeness of God is evident. Something about being in the garden in the morning, while the world is just waking up, the birds are singing, the dew is on the ground, is medicine to your soul.
"I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses. And the voice I hear, falling on mine ear, the Son of God discloses. And He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own. And the joy we share, as we tarry there, none other has ever known".
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