“How well does your garden grow?“
Song of Songs 4 v 15
You are a garden spring, a well of fresh water flowing down from Lebanon.
I love gardening. Always have, always will. From a little shared plot of land outside my first flat, to a flowerbed in my first house. I am not great at it, but I am fascinated by the magic of it. You prepare some ground, plant a seed, give it some water and warm sunlight and , hey presto, in a few days green shoots are emerging. The picture I shared above is of all the apples harvested this year from one little apple tree in my small garden!
Not everyone likes gardening. My boys are not so keen. But they do like to sit out in the garden and admire the flowers and fruit and veg. We all like to find a quiet spot with a cuppa and a book or ipod and just watch the butterflies and bees hop in an out of the flowers. It’s so restful, good for the soul.
I think God likes gardening. He planted the first one – the glorious Eden. It must have been something. A delight for all the senses. Colours, fragrances, taste, textures. His instructions in Genesis 1 about seedtime and harvest set the boundaries for all nature and gardens. He told the seeds to grow and so I know my little seeds have to do something!
The Bible has many ways to describe our lives: a journey, a race, a pathway to follow. Song of Songs 4 v 15 says our lives are like a garden spring, flowing with fresh life. The question comes to me from a familiar rhyme: ‘how does your garden grow?’. I’ve been reflecting on this and am going to note some of my thoughts here. Perhaps it’ll get you thinking too.
Into the heart of things 