Dig a little deeper while cultivating your garden this spring

It’s garden time, y’all!  

Gardening can be a healthy pastime for everyone no matter their age.  Incorporating homegrown foods to your diet offers quality nutrition, superb freshness, and mouth-watering flavor.   

Gardening contributes to substantial physical and spiritual health benefits.  Cultivating your own garden also decreases the consumption amount of those darn pesticides and such.  Increase your vitamin D level, reduce stress and anxiety, connect with nature and with God. 

So, get out your spade and start digging!

“The kiss of the sun for pardon, 

The song of the birds for mirth,-

One is nearer God’s heart in a garden

Than anywhere else on earth.”

Those words are from the poem “God’s Garden,” by Dorthy Frances Gurney.

"Globally, nearly one-third of people garden at home either daily or weekly. Australia has the highest level (45%) of gardening among all countries measured. China came in second (33%), followed by Mexico, the US, and Germany - all of which had levels of over one-third."

My friend, Majo, who lives in Colombia has access to fresh produce every single day.  I often drool when she sends photos and videos of her at the market choosing the ripest of fruits and vegetables for her family.  I tend to think that those people who sell their produce at the markets have a knack for digging in the dirt.

Good gardening results, skill and success in growing seeds and plants, a natural ability to grow things describes someone with a ‘green thumb’.  

Although my thumbs are not green (maybe dirty) I do put forth a good effort of digging in the dirt.  A difficult task though is sometimes identifying and for certain keeping out those darn pesky plants that will for sure spread like wildfire. 

Late in the spring of last year one of my children and company sat on their front porch and planted seeds in cups to get an early start for their vegetable garden.  

Several weeks later, while playing with my sweet little ones I noticed a lonely clump of green  species growing in the rock landscape in front of their house.  Specifically, right out from their front door.  

There was no long flowing vine, nothing resembling a bush and absolutely no bees pollinating on any flowers - because there were no flowers.  

I did what any passionate knowledgeable individual who nurtures plants would do.  I pulled that pesky plant, root and all, right out of the ground and tossed it in the weeds beside their house where it belonged.  

I thought nothing more of it.  

The next day the question  “Who pulled up the plant” in front of the house was asked. 

“Dad, I didn’t pull up the plant.”  

“I think Grandma did.”  

“Ask her.”

“No, I did not.”  

I quickly turned around and blamed the action on the precious soul that was blaming me!  What Grandma does that?  Well, this one did. 

Immediately Sherlock Holmes donned his top hat, dark tweed suit, crisp white shirt and silk cravat and began a precise investigation of the case at hand.  In pursuit of clues the young detective knew just where to dig first for evidence.  The video device that records action in front of their home was retrieved and then carefully reviewed. 

Lo’ and behold the guilty culprit was seen engaging in a little gardening activity.

Whew.  I was finally off the hook.  Not so fast, Grandma.

I heard through the grapevine that my readers like a good laugh.  The truth of the matter may just “knock your stalks off.” 

The 50-inch tall investigator gathered evidence and then was quite eager to inform me of the findings.

So, here’s the dirt.

“Grandma, you were seen on our security camera pulling up that plant.”  

“What?!”  

“But it's alright, Dad isn’t mad.”  

Evidently, one tiny sees fell to the ground between the rocks and dirt. That seed sprouted and was growing into a luscious zucchini.

Everyone got a good chuckle, but it took awhile for their laughter to grow on me.  Needless to say I have been banned from gardening in their yard.

Whoever said, “When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it and if it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant" knew what they were talking about.

Case closed.

Bahaha.  You can stop laughing now.

Do you know that in the Bible, gardens serve as settings for spiritual symbolism, critical events?  Powerful gardening metaphors in key narratives show the connection of humanity and the divine.  Specifically, human condition, divine providence, insight about nature.

For a few moments, dig with me into the rich soil of four pivotal gardens that changed the course of history.  

One: Unlike any the world has seen since mankind's first home, the Garden of Eden was a  magnificent paradise.  Scripture tells us that “out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.”  Genesis 2:9 ESV    

Unfortunately, one single act of defiance resulted in intense consequences.  

Two:  Located at the foot of the Mount of Olives in east Jerusalem is the Garden of Gethsemane.  Events that took place there reflect themes of purpose, submission, and agony in the final days of Jesus’ life.   In his humanity Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me,” and in his deity, “nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”  Matthew 26:39 ESV.

Three:  “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had been laid.”  John 19:41 ESV  Jesus’ body bound in linen cloths was laid there.  Three days later, the morning came that sealed the promise.  He is risen! Living hope!

Four:  One day the curse on humanity and the earth will be no more.  True believers will enjoy the promise of heaven… a restored garden…”the paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7 ESV. 

New beginning.  New life. 

Forever!