Deeply Root One’s Soul in Love and Encouragement to Grow in Peace and Joy
As I welcome in summer season, I find myself spending more time in garden preparing it with extra love and care to give it strength to endure the longer warm days. As I rolled up the garden hose from an early evening watering after an extra hot day, from the corner of my eyes caught a glimpse of the first batch of fruit of the early fruit on my fig tree. As I too glee in seeing the vast number of new fruit growing on this particular fig tree, I was in awe, as I was reminded how this tree just a couple of years ago had lost so much life from a challenging winter, taught me how with a little extra love and encouragement we can all grow in hope to find joy through all seasons.
From my garden journey with watching a fig tree come back to life from a lifeless state, I found myself writing a story, about this fig tree, who I named Willow in a simplistic almost childlike storytelling way, to share how the gift of God’s love and encouragement is the greatest healer that helps to navigate us through life and grow in hope for a new, fresh season. A story to encourage love for all humankind.
I was taken by surprise one morning when, walking through the garden, I noticed that our fig tree was not doing well, his leaves had fallen off. This fig tree that I had named Willow, had been deeply rooted in our garden for years. (Yes, I do name our plants and have fun creating stories to share with young visitors about their lives in the nature world. Willow just seemed to fit -- the title of one of the king bearers of our land.) I felt concerned – would Willow be able to withstand another season? It had lost all of its leaves early and seemed to be withering away.
Seeing my concern about the fig tree, my gardener, Jose, began to give me instructions in his unique, quiet way. He said, “Ssusan, you need to encourage the fig tree.” “Encourage the fig tree?” I said, “What do you mean?” He gave me detailed instructions. “First we need to cut back the tree, take it out of the pot and transplant into a new pot with fresh dirt with lots of love and some prayers. Then you will need to get another fig tree and plant it next to this one. “Why do we need another tree?” I said. He said simply, “Because it will encourage the other one to grow.” After carefully taking note of my instructions, we began to begin the process of what I call “Saving Willow.”
We transplanted him, bought another pot with a new small fig tree that we carefully placed next to Willow. Throughout the months of the winter season, when the fig trees go into a deep rest, I often wondered whether we would see any growth in the spring season.
As the spring sun began to awaken the garden, I was filled with anticipation wondering if we would see growth on Willow. The new fig tree, whom I named Baby, immediately awoke from its sleep to reveal beautiful big healthy green leaves hiding the beginning of its first fruits. As Willow did not seem to be awakening as quickly, Jose reminded me to be patient. “When we go through a challenge or get upset, it may take us a little longer to heal and rejuvenate.”
I continued to water, feed and, yes, love Willow in hopes that he would begin to grow new life from his battered roots. One afternoon after a long morning filled with daily activities, I, took a break to get some fresh air from the garden. As I looked around my eyes caught not one but several small leaves growing on Willow. I was so excited and so overwhelmed by this small miracle! Willow was becoming alive again with fresh new growth!
As he continued to grow his leaves,inspired by Baby (who is now larger than Willow) I realized how easy it is to give up, and think that though something may not look as great as it did before, it still has life, and maybe it just needs some extra love and encouragement -- like we do. So, yes, once again Jose taught me another life lesson in the garden that echoes the words of Margaret and other dear garden friends: Do not give up. Hold onto hope with all your heart and when we do we find the way to move forward.
Thinking about Willow always reminds me that we, too, sometimes need to be pruned, replanted and refilled in order for our hearts to be rejuvenated.
I also was reminded during some recent studies and writings that our Heavenly Father never gives up on us. He is always planting hope in our hearts during all seasons to rejuvenate our souls and know there is so much more ahead for us beyond anything we could imagine.
Open the doors to your heart and rejuvenate your soul –
Tips of things to do ….
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3: 17-20