Refresh One’s Soul in the Garden
I love getting lost in my garden, whether I’m venturing out for a day of work or sitting down to enjoy the lush beauty that surrounds me.
I may begin my day with a roadmap of chores, however, I find that the garden teaches me otherwise. Often, what I may have envisioned in my mind for the day is not necessarily what mother nature has planned for me.
I am very good at planning my day-to-day operations and making to-do lists of accomplishments. I always try to leave time on the list to meditate, to read the word and, oh, yes, exercise. When I walk into my garden, I often have the best intentions and a “big-eyed” strategic view of an area I am going to conquer. Yet, I find that “mother nature” takes me on a whole new path. This is why you’ll often hear me say, the garden teaches me so much and is always my greatest journey in life.
Most recently, the garden taught me that “nothing is perfect, yet everything is perfect” when we trust our hearts to lead us through the changes we endure through the seasons of our lives.
I was telling my friend Liz, how much I enjoyed winter gardening. The cooler, overcast days and light drizzle from the heavens result in the freshest, richest organic aroma to delight the senses. The winter garden in its dormancy is like giving one’s soul time to reflect and rest in preparation for the activity that comes next. I knew our spring season was just around the corner because the plants were starting to burst with fresh light-green buds. The transition from winter to spring is my favorite time of year as it gives me a wonderful sense of new hope and excitement at overcoming some of the challenges we may be facing in our daily lives. Ahhh, what a wonderful reminder from Heaven Above that there is always great hope ahead...
How wonderful and accomplished I felt to check off so many of my “to-do” list items. Everything was perfect, so I invited Liz to come over for tea to enjoy the garden.
The next morning our gardener, Jose, who has worked with us over the years, began his weekly maintenance and care. I rushed to put on my garden clothes. I grabbed my hat, gloves, garden boots and my trusty cutting shears. I was so excited to tell him all about my “perfect” gardening time. As I sprung out the door, overflowing with excitement, my heart stopped for a moment. The area I had spent several hours cleaning and preparing for the spring burst, was now filled with a blanket layer of leaves from hedge trimming!
I stopped quickly in my steps from the surprise. I took a deep breathe and then I began to quietly laugh.
Nothing in life is perfect. Yet it can be if we are willing to trust in God to guide us through our seasons. I continued to reflect upon the fact that if we do not allow the little things in life to get ot us — like leaves in the garden, traffic jams, missed calls — we can find joy in all things during our life’s journey.
I began once again to clean out this area in garden. The hummingbirds, with their soft zooming sounds, were flying around me. I found myself floating back to one of our early morning adventures with Rowland in the plains of the Sergente National Park, not knowing where the path for the day would take us, yet having to trust in knowing that God had created a “perfect plan” for us that day, if we were willing to have an open heart. Thank you, Rowland, for teaching us to enjoy the present moments in life.
Whether in the Seregenti, a garden, at home or at work, I encourage all of us to live through our hearts and enjoy the journey.
