Gardens

Gardens

This morning I went for a long walk,

It was amazing to notice the plants in gardens,

Seeing all the work people are putting into them,

People have recently spent more time caring for them,

The variety of the gardens is like fingerprints,

No two are alike and some are very neglected,

Some people do not garden at all.

There would be a story behind each garden,

It would equate to what is happening in the owner’s life,

The stories would be as varied as the gardens,

Some would be incredibly sad,

Behind neglected gardens could be broken relationships,

Maybe financial difficulties have long been at play,

Age and illness come to mind for time not spent there,

Maybe gardening was never in their DNA,

Perhaps their parents were never gardeners either,

It might be a rental property with tenants coming and going frequently,

Whatever, the reason for the state of the garden, someone lives there.

When God created Adam and Eve, he placed them in an awesome garden,

That was an action of pure love for the couple,

He gave them the best of the best place in which to live,

He gave them everything and pronounced what He had made as good,

He provided beautiful plants of every kind, colour, and shape,

Animals amazed them and were their friends,

No house was needed as the climate control in the garden was perfect,

They did not even need clothes and they did not get sick,

God walked and talked with them in the evening breeze,

There was nothing they could possibly want or imagine,

Yet, being loved and being free to love,

And being open to suggestion and the ability to choose to go their own way,

They chose to eat the fruit of the one tree in the garden that God asked them not to eat,

They wanted to have all that God, the Creator of the Garden, had including His knowledge,

They wanted to be their own God,

That was their downfall and the fall was great,

The angels drove them out and barred them from re-entering the garden.

Now they would have to make their own garden in which to live.

Today the gardens we see are imperfect and some are desolate,

But God continues to create and provide for the people He created,

He continues to provide beauty in nature,

He sends rain and sunshine and people who work in their garden are blessed,

Plants are planted, lawns are watered, and flowers burst into colourful blooms,

In Jesus, God has invited people back to walk with Him in our gardens and our world,

We continue to have free will to love and be loved,

Some accept it and some do not,

Their lives are as different as the many gardens in which people have their home.

I love being in our garden at home,

It is our favourite place,

The plants are varied and beautiful and there are garden animal statues in it,

The lamb sheltered by plants reminds me of Jesus the Lamb of God,

Each morning when I get up,

I look out the window into the back yard,

I am reminded that God loves me and makes my garden grow,

He lovingly cares for me and my wife and family who live in His garden,

We are happy there and look forward to walking in person with Him,

Together we will feel the evening breeze as we enjoy being home in our Father’s garden.

Neil P. Schiller

Thursday, 3 September 2020