Some days I wake, and there is trouble in the garden. A raccoon occasionally gets hungry for sunflower seed, and a few things get upset or uprooted by the big guy. The squirrels scramble about in the trees waiting for treasures to appear in their little hiding places and the birds chirp as they flitter about keeping a watchful eye on the Gardener. The fountain is sometimes dry and needs a little attention. Some caterpillars disappear, probably from some thief in the night. Yet, there is trust in the garden.
Everything from the soil, the plants, flowers, and critters (large and small), develop a trust and a comfort with the gardener. And I am here, ever watchful, diligently tending to the needs of God’s creation in my corner of this vast world. I started with absolutely no idea what to do to care for and to live in harmony with my little piece of home.
But I trust MY Gardener. He leads me; He rejoices with me, and I believe he finds comfort in me as I tend the garden under his watchful eyes.
In times of draught or even heavy rains and as problems arise, in times of loss and with much energy expelled, there is trust in the garden.
How do I live in that trust, the trust in MY Gardener?
1. I APPLY the precepts and the wisdom God provided me. It is all in the Gardeners Manual, the Bible. Sometimes it is a little hard to find or understand, but he is always there to help me figure it out. Me and MY gardener, walking the paths together as we care for the garden, this builds trust.
2. I SEEK the peace and comfort provided by the hard work, the sweat, and the dirt that comes with tending the garden. Just like MY Gardener. “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” ~~ Genesis 1:31. God found peace and comfort in the hard work of creation. I find peace and comfort in the hard work of the garden. Trust builds in my soul as I see the beauty that results from the toil.
3. I DELIGHT in the beauty and dance in the rhythm of each moment of every day. I ponder each star in the night that shines down on our garden. I even welcome the rain. The chaos in the garden moves around from one place to another, dies away and reemerges. But I delight in my Gardeners manual and always find the help I need to guide darkness into the light. My Gardeners words speak to me off the pages of his wisdom and love. I sense and find comfort in God’s presence with me in the Garden. This builds trust and mutual delight, from gardener to Gardener.
May you find peace, comfort, grace, and mercy in your Garden. May you seek God’s heart as he speaks with wisdom in the Gardeners Manual. And may you not only find trust in your garden, but may you provide trust to those around you in YOUR garden, the garden of your life.
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. O LORD, save the king! May he answer us when we call.” ~~ Psalm 20:7-9
~~By Jan Puterbaugh, associate pastor
