By Pastor Shawn Carter
One of my happiest and most memorable moments in life was with my mom and dad as they worked in the garden. I would help Mom plant seeds, pull weeds out of the ground, and pick up rocks out of the rows. However, I mostly just played in the dirt, which was my favorite thing to do. I remember my dad making rows with his long handle hoe in the dirt for Mom to drop the seeds into, then I would push the dirt back over the seeds. The smell of fresh dug dirt and spring rain brings to mind the memories of so many great days spent with them and all the adventures we embarked on. I often think about how walking with God is just like that time with my family in the garden.
There is something primal and natural for families to work or play in gardens, and I would contend that God designed it that way. God created it that way so we would stay connected to Him and to others. We find in the opening passages of scripture scenes of humanity walking with God in the garden. I often think about the beginning of Adam and Eve, and how they kept the garden of Eden. Even after Adam and Eve fell into sin and were cast out of the garden, they were still able to work the land together with their family. Let us learn how gardening can show us how to have a better relationship with God and others.
Life in the garden is all about being together. Not only did I love the time spent with my parents in the garden, but it was what I needed to learn about relationships. One of the most vital needs in a relationship is time spent together. We all need to invest in spending time with God and with others to be spiritually healthy. In our fast-paced world, we desperately need time with God so that we can find healing and guidance from Him. We can do so by taking moments out of our day to think about God and to have a conversation with Him. Many find that working in the garden while praying is very meaningful.
During these moments together, God prepares us for spiritual growth and life’s experiences. The Bible calls this time together walking in the spirit. It also teaches us that when we walk in the spirit, we bear fruit. We find this truth in Galatians 5:22-25, which says “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
When I look back on my time spent in the garden with Mom and Dad, I realize just how much they taught me about life and God. By spending time with them, I was able to gain essential knowledge that otherwise I would not have known. Another great thing about spending time in the garden with family and God are the memories that come with it.
As many read this, they may ask what does it mean to walk with God. The simple answer is spending time with God by having conversation with Him and by reading the Bible. We can have that connection with God because of what Jesus did on the cross and what God did by raising Jesus from the grave. The Bible says in Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” This shows us an interesting parallel between God and a gardener. Just as my father was willing to get dirty and diligently work to grow the garden, so is God willing to do what it takes to bring us out of sin.
The following verse shows us that God is the great Gardener of this world and His work will continue to impact our lives forever. Isaiah 61:11 says “For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” Let us always remember that the Lord is not done with us and that we can come to Him at any time. Today let the Lord break the tough ground of your heart and soften it. Take time to be with God and family because that is what makes a joyful life.
