I just came in the house from doing a little gardening. After a cool drink and a little rest, I started thinking about my garden a bit more. One of the things I like about living in Florida is I can garden a goodly portion of the year. It is one of my passions, probably stemming from being raised on a farm. I loved the seasons of planting, watching the crops grow and ultimately the harvest of the crops whether it was wheat or corn, the family vegetable garden or the many flowers in our yard.

Gardening has always given me a sense of peace and wellbeing. I feel God’s presence as I perform this task and know “digging in the dirt” puts me in direct contact with God’s creation. It makes me more aware of the beauty and order of God’s work. Adam was the first gardener. God placed him in the Garden of Eden to work and take care of it, making it one of the original callings…to be caretakers of the Earth.

Gardening has also taught me to be patient, faithful and disciplined. You have to be patient to wait for the seeds to grow, kind of like gaining spiritual maturity. Gardeners trust that the seeds will grow, even when they cannot see it happening until the plants poke their sprouts out of the soil. This is similar to walking by faith, when not being able to see the results as soon as we would like, but having the faith it will happen. Discipline is necessary for gardening to be successful as well. One has to attend to it daily, just like our walk with our Lord.

If our crops are successful, they go on to feed millions of people. On a smaller scale, we can share the bounty and beauty of our produce with friends, family and those in need. Sharing is a way to bless others and love our neighbors as God has instructed us to do. 

Gardens and fields are often quiet places which are ideal for prayer, meditation or reading scriptures and daily devotions. Remember that God went to the garden in Gethsemane to pray before his crucifixion as he needed to talk to God His Father. I often find myself praying in the solitude and peace of my garden as I work the soil.

We are blessed in so many ways by God our Father. He gave us this beautiful world to live in and care for. Most importantly however, He loves us unconditionally and gave Jesus, His Son to sacrifice His life to save us from our sins. Our blessed lives can continue on into eternity by believing in Him and following His words. Thanks be to God!

Patty