I Come to the Garden Alone - Part Two

I Come to the Garden Alone

Part Two

By Judy Vandiver

I do hope that you enjoyed yesterday’s blog and my ill-fated attempt with planting flower seeds. Another gardening story that my family seems to take great delight in retelling happened when I was in my early 20’s. I still had not developed any gardening skills, but I kept trying.

My husband and I had just bought our first home and much to my delight there was a large brick flower box in the front yard and a good size flowerbed right by the front door. These areas were screaming for a gardener’s touch to add color and variety to our yard.

I had already learned my lessons with the seed thing, but I saw one of those ads in a magazine for a carpet of blossoms. It came rolled up like a carpet, the ad stated, with seeds already planted in this sod roll. All you had to do was roll it out... water it... and wait. (Again with the waiting, but that’s another lesson.) 

I cut out the ad, sent in my money, and soon my carpet of flowers arrived. I checked and double checked the directions this time and did exactly what was printed. I rolled the carpet out in the front flowerbed by the door, watered it, and waited. 

I have to tell you I wasn’t as excited as I had been when I planted those first seeds as a child. In fact, by this time in my gardening career, I was very doubtful, but the ad proclaimed the product guaranteed. So, I watered and waited. All I ever got by the front door was a muddy mess. Those seeds never did sprout. 

Still wanting to make the front of my home have some curb appeal, I decided to try a different tactic. I went and bought some pot plants. “Let's forget about the seed stuff,” I thought. “I’ll buy something that’s already sprouted.” And you know—it looked good for a while.

But I just don’t have a green thumb. My fresh blossoms drooped, wilted, then dried up. All too soon, they were dead. There was no longer any life in the pretty flowerpots.

Later, as I reflected on those plants, I realized I wasn’t very diligent about watering them. With the carpet of blossoms, I watered them when I first unrolled the seeds. But I soon neglected them in favor of other things that had grabbed my interest. I did the same thing with the blooming potted plants. In addition to not watering them, I also did not expose them much to the sun. Poor things probably never had a chance.

When I abandon the feeding and watering of my soul, I become as wilted, dried up, and dead as neglected potted plants. My soul craves a daily dose of the “son.” Old Testament scripture states:

From early on your Sanctuary was set high, a throne of glory, exalted! O God, you're the hope of Israel. All who leave you end up as fools, deserters with nothing to show for their lives, who walk off from God, fountain of living waters— and wind up dead! (Jeremiah 17:12-13 The Message)

But there is one who can revive my sagging spiritual state in a way that I was never able to do for my plants or my carpet of blossoms. More verses from The Old Testament:

How exquisite your love, O God! How eager we are to run under your wings, To eat our fill at the banquet you spread as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water. You're a fountain of cascading light, and you open our eyes to light. (Psalm 36:7-9 The Message)

I love those verses. We can run under God’s wings, be fed at a banquet, and filled with Eden spring waters. And better than any physical sunlight is the light that He nourishes us with even in the shadows.

My poor plants had no choice about its food and water. It was up to me to feed them. God gives us a choice, however. We can choose to be fed and watered. We can go to the source of nourishment. Or we can allow ourselves to wither and die. 

Personal Study Questions:

1. Have I watered the Spirit of God within myself?
2. Are there areas of my spiritual life that are dying?
3. Am I diligent in watering my soul, or do I become distracted by other things in life?
4. Do I expose my soul to the “son” or a daily basis?
5. Memorize Psalm 36:7-9 “How exquisite your love, O God! How eager we are to run under your wings, To eat our fill at the banquet you spread as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water. You're a fountain of cascading light, and you open our eyes to light. (Psalm 36:7-9 The Message)

Tomorrow, I’ll tell you about my gardening attempt that my family doesn’t let me forget. A small hint—it’s unreal.

Copyright 2002 by Judy Vandiver