Lessons From My Gardenنموونە

The Beginning It all began in a garden—a luxurious acreage abounding with magnificent plants, trees, and flowers. Eden. Imagine being there with the intoxicating fragrances of orchids, roses, and gardenias. Brilliantly colored leaves and blossoms surround you. Exotic fruits and vegetables are your nourishment, always ripe and ready to eat, washed by the mist of a tumbling waterfall. Sweet birdsong mingles with the golden warmth from the Father’s love. Absent of disease, destruction, or disappointment, this was the place of perfection. Paradise! A place our hearts still long for and desire. This first garden, the dwelling place of God, is one reason gardening speaks so deeply to my heart. I love being outdoors in a wide open space with the warm glow of sunshine on my skin. The song of birds, the fresh smell of loamy soil, the beauty of colorful flowers and vegetables, and the promise of growth and life brings me joy. The plot I tend is certainly no paradise. But it is the special place I daily meet with my Father, the same One who began a relationship with mankind walking and conversing in that first, perfect garden. My garden is a place where He speaks to me with parallels of life as beads of sweat form on my brow from tilling, seeding, and watching for growth. Through all the waiting, watering, and wondering He has taught me so much about His ways and my heart. From many years of practice and observation, I hear His whispers as I listen with expectation, for it is in time spent together that relationships grow. As the cool of the morning fades, I leave my sanctuary with soiled gloves and knees. I am now able to enter the remainder of my day, whatever it brings, with a full heart and a touch of His glory, for I have met with the Master Gardener. He will always speak to you wherever you meet Him. Are you listening with expectation? Journey with me in the next several days as I share some insights from my gardening experiences.