The Story and Meaning To My Header

Years ago, my mother used an analogy of a garden to our lives. I don’t remember what started the conversation, but the images that filled my mind have only grown from that day and I will carry it with me through the rest of my life.

We all have a garden. It starts from the moment our first seed is planted; our conception. As we grow, our garden grows. But, as with all gardens, it gets filled with things other than just the beautiful plants that should be there. Rocks and even boulders, weeds, holes, critters…anything that you can think of, at some point in time can be found in our garden. With gardens come work; hard work that leaves us exhausted and blistered. The end result though is so worth it. There are times though that we need help in our garden. Our spirits are weak or the job is too much for our abilities and we need a hand far greater than our own. We need the hand that started our garden in the beginning; the hand of God. Rocks need to be pulled and even boulders rolled out. What is left are holes; some gaping and in desperate need of being filled. What can fill those holes? Who can fill those holes? Only God with holy soil can fill the areas that need to be filled in a way that nothing else can. If we rely on ourselves and what we can bring, our garden will be weak and ugly. If we let God work in our garden, it will be strong and beautiful. It can be a painful process in making a lovely and productive garden, but once it is done, it is something to be admired by all.

Most of my life has been spent with me trying to work my garden to no avail. My garden became so full of weeds and boulders (no pebbles in my garden; just big ugly boulders) and creatures of destruction that my garden was nearly lost. The Gardener had to come in, in a mighty way, and begin to work furiously to regenerate His plan. Now my garden is full of life and is growing and even expanding. The work that is being done is more planting than pulling; growing instead of dying. Come in and enjoy my garden. Know that it is not perfect but it is always a work in progress.

Isaiah 51:3 "...He will make her deserts like Eden, and her wastelands like the Garden of the Lord..."