Reminders from the garden
This spring, though, I noticed with excitement, some good changes, and I believe God is using these changes to remind me about things in life. There is nothing extraordinary in these except that the entire exercise itself has reminded me that God is never done with us -- and so we should never pretend to limit the ways He can speak, work, and change us. 10 years ago I never thought I would be touching soil, watering grass or taking pictures of flowers (really!) and here I am, not only learning about gardening, but in the process, hearing God speak to me loving messages.
1) WATER - I never understood the need plants have to be hydrated. I mean, I knew they needed water, but I never realized how much and how often until I got my first hydrangeas a few years ago. Now I know why they are called HYDRANgeas!!! One minute they looked completely dead...and the next ... voila! The difference? Water!
I almost yanked them out when I saw the state of affairs they were in after a couple of scorching summer heat days (they were dead, right?) but thought I might try one more thing before doing so - I watered them non stop for a good 10-15 min. Amazing!
The same lesson was repeated when I started paying attention to our lawn. At one point we re sod the lawn (is that the right term?) and the grass looked amazing. Soon after, though, our grass went back to its usual weak and tired look. Over and over I heard people tell me grass needed water. But it never sank in how much until I witnessed it last year. I decided I would COMMIT to water daily and would commit to taking care of the grass. The results were astounding.
Sometimes in life I think I respond the same way - I look at a situation and think there is no way to remedy the situation. I give up before I even tried. In fact all I needed was to give the situation a chance. I quit too fast. I give up too fast. And I often underestimate how much 'water' the situation needs.
I also think of our spiritual lives, and how I often underestimate how much 'water' I need to keep feeling healthy and alive. I look at my skinny, yellowy and weak grass, hydrangeas and leaves...they were all alive for sure, but it was neither healthy, nor nice to look at, nor good - eventually they would die. I had tried short term solutions to deal with them (water a lot once a week, buy super vitamins, re-sod the lawn) but nothing lasted. The only thing that assured its healthy grow was to have my COMMITMENT to water them and care for them daily.
2) SHOCKED - I heard someone explain to me that when you buy plants in regular stores like Walmart and Home Depot, after you replant them in your yard the plants are in 'shocked'. I asked this person what he meant and he explained that the plants needed time and water to readjust to the new soil and environment you were planting them into. That made sense to me. No wonder so many plants I bought in the last few years seemed to do worse once I planted them!
Sometimes in life, especially during life transitional stages, I am too rushed to see results. I don't give myself a chance to get used to the new 'soil' and environment. Instead of letting the shock sink in, I let the shock get the best of me. Once again, my problem? I rush through life...gardening has taught me one valuable lesson - PATIENCE...the art of waiting in anticipation knowing that after the shock the plant WILL be ok.
3) GOOD SOIL - my mom asked me this year "Why are your bamboo leaves so yellow? Have you added new soil to it?" - I looked at her and wonder why one would need to add more soil to a plant I've had for years. The plant has had soil all these years! But she was right - my bamboo leaves looked thin and malnourished. I had bought super vitamins in drops, capsules, etc. before but nothing seemed to work. This year I tried the cheapest and easiest thing - get good soil and add to it. Then I took it out and let it soak in the good and free sunlight. Voila! It's a miracle! The leaves are now green!
Another thing I learned this year - it helps your lawn if you add soil to it. For years we had wondered why our lawn looked so unhealthy. We had tried grass seeds of course, but once the grass grew it looked thin and weak. Then I noticed people buying soil and spreading it onto their lawn. It was an eureka moment for me!
Sometimes in life, we overcomplicate things. We feel drained and weak and wonder why. We might have paid big bucks to find a counsellor, gotten super vitamins to keep our brains sharp, read self help books...the answer might be way simpler. What is the good soil in my life? What am I absorbing every day?
4) TIME - I have a renewed appreciation for people who garden regularly now. It takes a lot of time and commitment!!! Our front lawn has been looking pathetic for years! The only year it looked decent was the year we re-sod the entire thing! We often wondered why neighbour's lawns were so much nicer. Now I know. You have to water it daily! (See above) I tried, trust me, to make a commitment to make a change and to find time to water the lawn after supper - but it is not easy!
Last year I also bought some amazing flower bulbs (I can't remember their names!). They looked amazing in the picture. I planted them, and watered them. Soon enough a stick grew out - very very thin and weak-looking. A bulb followed but it never bloomed. I was disappointed. But by now I had learned not to yank out plants just because I had not seen results right away. This year....this weak looking plant is still a bit weak, but I see its first bloom!
In life....if we want results, we have to devote the time for it! Commit to it. For me, I think of my relationship with God. I hear so many people tell me they cannot believe because they do not feel anything. But how can you feel if you do not take the time and commit to knowing Him?
I also think of the discipling process. Sometimes our role is not simply to water and soil...but to give it time. We know for fact that just as the plant is meant to bloom eventually, the lives of the people we are sharing life with will eventually bloom in God's timing. Our job? Perhaps to sit by their side and give them time.
5) MULTIPLICATION - you can multiply some plants. The african violets inside my home are a great example. They are the only plants I have been successful with. People ask me what my secret is and I have really no concluding answer for them. I have, however, become an expert in multiplying these gorgeous indoor plants. Cut a healthy leave, let roots grow in water, and then replant them in good soil.
I ask myself if I am healthy enough to multiply. I ask myself if our church is healthy enough to be multiplied. Or, if we even see it as God's plan for us to continue multiplying and making disciples. There are plenty of people who have african violets who never bother (or knew how to) multiplying their plants.
And the process of multiplication is very enlightening: you have to first cut a HEALTHY leaf - cutting hurts, especially cutting a healthy one. I think of the times when God seemed to have 'cut off' a healthy member of God's body and I had wondered why only to see later on that He had indeed a plan for him/her and everyone around him/her.
6) BLOOMS - I love seeing flowers bloom. For me, that is the measure of success. But in gardening I have learned to notice things when plants bloom or do not bloom:
- weak blooms - some of my plants managed to bloom ONE flower a year. The blooms were weak and did not last long.
- no blooms - one year I over pruned my hydrangeas and the result was that I had no blooms at all. I am still trying to figure out why some of my plants do not bloom. Leaves are healthy but no flowers.
- over blooming everywhere - I have a wild rose bush in my backyard and for years they were what their names said, "wild". I did not appreciate all its blooms and it actually became a nuisance. Then this year we put one of those tomato racks to direct their 'wildness' - and now it looks so much better!!!
- new blooms - I bought 2 more rose plants this year and they are already blooming. The problem? They are not strong enough yet so the weight of the bloom is actually dragging the stems down!
Blooms give me lots to think of about life. It reminds me of the beauty of life. It also reminds me of the fact that everything in this life is temporary and to cherish the moments God gives me to have a glimpse at beauty. But as you can tell from my experience with blooms, it also reminds me not to only focus on blooms. To notice the leaves, the stems, the entire plant. To pay attention to whether the roots are healthy. To not get disappointed when I do not see blooms when I think they should be blooming.
*****
I have insights into living every time I see a plant, a patch of grass or a flower now. And I thank God for giving me a chance to learn to see life in a new and different perspective. This is a new aspect of me I am discovering and a new way God uses to talk to me. Above all, as I tend to my garden, I am reminded of God's ever caring hand on me, you and all of us. He, unlike my faulty hands, has a perfect hand on his plants, us. He knows what He is doing. He doesn't quit on us. He knows when to add soil, when to water and when and how to protect us from the elements.
There is so much to learn from gardening. And God has so much to tell me while I learn
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