Here are some pics from the garden, from seedlings to harvest:
The garden has become a place for quiet reflection and prayer, time spent in God's creation-- getting my hands dirty and working in the soil, keeping the garden beds weed and pest-free, and figuring out what to do when God blesses me with an abundance of cucumbers. Sort of like my own spiritual life. Minus the cucumbers, of course.
St. Paul uses body imagery, not garden imagery-- but I see the growth that happens in our bodies/gardens/faith-lives as following a similar order. He writes in his letter to the Christians in Ephesus, chapter 4:
It was [God] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Each part does its work so that the body of Christ may be built up. So that we might reach unity in the faith. So that we might reach unity in the knowledge of the Son of God. So that we might become mature-- grasping the very fullness of Christ.
God's creation is put together in an amazingly ordered fashion. The seed falls in the ground. The plant begins to grow. As the old Christian hymn goes, based on Jesus' teaching in Mark 4 "First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear..."
And the amazing thing is that the God of creation, who has ordered the universe and causes seeds to grow-- this same God has ordered my life, and caused faith to grow in my heart. He is the master gardener who tills the soil of my life, plants in me the seed of his word, waters me with his love and forgiveness, and ultimately brings about the harvest of new life in Christ.
I'm looking forward to enjoying the harvest from this year's garden-- and trying my hand at fresh preserving so that we can enjoy the veggies into the winter months. We're already planning for next summer's garden, having learned from this year's first try. And I'll continue to enjoy the quiet reflection my time in the garden offers, as I offer myself up to the care of my Lord, Jesus Christ.
Do you garden? How does your spiritual life connect with your time spent in creation, working the soil? Send me your thoughts at profoundblog[at]gmail.com
Peace!
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