Mary Mary, Quite Contrary

How does your garden grow? Watching my mom thoroughly enjoy herself in our backyard gave me the perspective, as a kid, that getting in and getting your hands dirty can be a lot of fun. Once Spring hit, we kids knew where to find mom. From Spring to Fall, when she wasn't tending to something else, she was outside enjoying her backyard. My favorite thing to pick were the little strawberries and the tomatoes that grew every year. If we started to distract her too long with kid stuff, she'd have us water some of the trees or do some things around the garden while she went back to digging and planting. Smart lady, that mother of mine! And you'll still find her enjoying her backyard even to this day! I never really understood her love for this oasis until now. Landscaping and gardening have become center front in my mind these days. I've been milling around ideas for our property and I've said a quiet prayer "God, you are the master gardener. I want to do it right and have no idea what I'm doing. Teach me." Of course there's the time and money it takes to develop land, but as we get both, I want to make it an oasis like my mom made our backyard growing up. Much like God's style, he sent the best. A good friend of mine has been a master gardener in Reno for over six years. I don't think I really realized the extent of her knowledge until working with her. She went through the training to become an expert on horticulture. Now she has a thriving business here in Reno as she's developed quite a unique base of clientele where she tends and cares for gardens, landscapes, containers and garden pots. But my friend doesn't just use her knowledge, she is also very thoughtful in finding what is going to work for her clients. It's not just knowledge, it's her passion and love for the garden. Here's where I come into this part of the story as a work mule. :) And I say that with complete joy! Recently she asked me to help her business out for a few hours when I can, to haul some of the heavier stuff and get down on my hands and knees and plant. The request was indeed an answer to prayers for me. I get to learn from the best and she's even paying me!! Soil is a rich ground for analogy in the Christian faith. I've found old roots or had to work with rocky, clay like soil here in Nevada. Jesus talked about different kinds of soil. He made the analogy between soil and our hearts. Does your heart retain the water and nutrients God provides by His word? If not, the soil of your heart has something to be desired. Last week while reading in the book of James 1:19, I read "In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the word, making a salvation garden of your life." First, you need humility. Are you humble enough to recognize you don't have it all figured out? Are you humble enough to receive simply the truths that are evident but overshadowed by your own stubborn heart? Second, let our gardener do the work. We aren't called to change our own soil. We never could. We need a master gardener who can tell us what's missing, what's necessary, what needs to be uprooted and what needs to be added. Third, Landscape you with his word. Hmmmm. God's word has power. It has power to cause growth. But hearing the word and not doing it, not watering it, will lead to a dormant life. You want to have a life that's flourishing? Read God's word and let it marinate in your heart. Let it change your nature. Let it alter how you see yourself and others. You'll begin to see a salvation garden growing and it will be most excellent to look at!!

My friend gave me the pleasure of sitting with her in a French garden she helped design. We sat and drank a glass of wine and as you looked around the garden your eyes couldn't help but land on something unique and beautiful. All of the various flowers and plants working together to captivate the eye. Some of the plants and flowers hadn't bloomed for over six years. Other's were recently planted. Some she wasn't sure would make it! I thought about the reality of our life as a believer. God may plant a seed in us that doesn't start to bloom for years. Sometimes he has to take out old shrubs and things in us that just aren't bringing life or have become ugly to look at. Sometimes we hold our breath, wondering if this Christ-centered life is really going to make it. Yet, we're sitting on a beautiful French garden about to burst forth. This is what God wants to do with you, as a glory to Himself. It doesn't matter how barren and ugly your life has been before. He will deeply plant His goodness into your heart and you will see amazing things take place. This is how our garden grows. Humility. A Master Gardener. Landscaped by His word.