By Karen O’Connor:
Image: markmiller / morguefile.com
I began finding God in a flower garden before the plants were even in the ground.
I had stared at the plot of dirt my husband had measured off and tried to imagine what it would look like when it was finished and in full bloom. It didn’t take long. He got to work on it within weeks of our moving into our new home and by late summer of that year we had an ice rose climbing up a wrought iron trellis, a flagstone path leading to a birth bath, lavender covering the ground, and rhododendrons and azaleas in blazing color along the fence.
We topped it off with garden art, a framed tile that read: “The best place to find God is in a garden.” Amen to that!
Next we set up a small ice cream-style table and two chairs so we could sit and sip and pray as we gazed at our beautiful new garden. For the past four years this special spot has brought us much joy. It’s a place to watch things grow—and not only flowers. Weeds battle for their space and snails like to dine on the plant leaves. It takes some work to keep things looking lovely and healthy—much like life itself. Staying alive and well and in relationship with God and people takes work—planting good seeds, fertilizing them with the food and water of God’s word, weeding out the sins, and being on the watch for critters that want to destroy what we’ve sown.
But all the effort is well worth it because finding God in a flower garden is one of the most rewarding encounters one could ever have.
You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail (Isaiah 58:11 in the Bible).
Enjoy this helpful and entertaining You Tube video on how to plant a flower garden.
©Karen O’Connor. Karen is an author, writing mentor, and frequent contributor to the Finding God Daily blog. Visit Karen on the web at www.karenoconnor.com
