Watering

As I have said before in past news updates, I am being schooled in the art of gardening. This past week, I have learned another valuable lesson from the little corner of earth I am called to shepherd.

This spring I was able to rescue my grass and plants from the evils spirits of dandelions, crab grass, and a host of other unnamed weeds. It took a great deal of work, but my grass started taking off in late April and early May. The grass was actually becoming a thick, rich green turf! My plants started showing signs of life again as new buds and shoots started to appear on my bushes and plants! This was exciting, and I said to myself, “Son, you might just have a green thumb after all!” So, I stopped tending the yard and plants so intensely. I kicked back every evening in May to play with my children when I got home from work in the beautiful grass. After they went to bed, I would sneak back outside in the cool of the evening to watch the sun set on my prospering plants. This feeling of joy, serenity even, I took from the beauty I had created lasted a solid three weeks.

However, at the beginning of week 4, I looked out my window to soak in some of the beauty I created at the start of my day only to find my grass withered and brown and the new shoots on my bushes and plants decimated. Needless to say what I felt was not serenity, it was desperation.

Once more, I had to consult my plant and grass physician. I demanded to know why my plants stopped growing! I accused him of selling me grass that was of some lesser quality! I was angry that someone or something had taken away my little corner of beauty! His answer was shocking. He said, “Scott, you are the one who took away your little corner of beauty.” He went on to explain to me that the plants and grass, though they look really good and show signs of maturity, are not mature at all. Their roots will take a good three years to sink deep into the soil for their nourishment. It was my job to provide them with the nourishment they need now. So with those words, I was called back into my corner of earth, not to gain serenity from, but to shepherd and tend to maturity.


I don’t know about you, but I am so much like my young grass and plants. I get to a place that looks like maturity in my faith, and then I stop pursuing the things that nourish my soul. I expect that I have gotten what I have needed to live a life of faith, and I should just be able to naturally walk in faith from here on out. Mark’s sermon this past week on rest reminded me that it is not my body alone that needs rest, but it is my soul. My soul needs rest from the punishment and hits it takes throughout the week from bosses, agendas, marketing, disappointments, workload, friends, family, production, and burdens. I need to carve out time in my life in order to nourish my soul on good things, otherwise I will wake up one morning and wonder why my soul is so withered and brown like my plants and grass was after not watering them for three weeks.

It takes a lifetime for us to develop deep roots in the Spirit. We should not leave our transformation to chance or happenstance. Pray with me that we will become a persevering and patient community as we take advantage of the Sabbath not to rest our bodies, but to rest our souls on the very words of our Creator.