My Garden Tells a Story
My Garden Tells a Story
Every year, at the close of winter, just as the hint of Spring begins to rekindle hope for warmer weather and longer days, I go out and assess my garden. Every year it looks barren and not very promising. My heart sinks just a bit when I think that some of my favorite plants have not survived the winter. My garden doesn’t offer much hope for beauty to come. “It’s too far gone this year,” I tell my husband. “”We’ll have to invest in some new plants.”
But every year, I go out anyway and pull the weeds that have grown during the winter months. I cut back the wayward stems and tangled vines. I look for signs of new growth, for tiny buds to decorate my winter sticks. I put in the work the garden needs, even though it looks hopeless, in anticipation of the growth and beauty to come.
And every year my garden surprises me. New bright green leaves and tiny buds emerge, promising shades of reds, pinks, purples, and yellows. For during the winter, while the plants look lifeless, there is much work happening beneath the soil. Roots are going down deep and spreading out. They are getting ready to support new growth and heavy, beautiful flowers.
I think there is a story of hope here for us.
Winter can seem long and cold. Our hope for better days can seem pointless, or sometimes even silly. But we must remain faithful to the process and continue working in anticipation of Spring. The beauty of the garden begins long before we see the first buds appear. It begins during the cold, dark winter days, beneath the soil, where the roots are sinking down deep.
We must be diligent to sink our roots down deep into the soil of God’s Word and pull the weeds that if left unattended, would threaten healthy growth (Ephesians 3). We must trust no matter how long and barren the winter, for If we lose hope, we will quit trying. Without hope, we wouldn’t pull the weeds and trim the overgrown limbs in anticipation of Spring. Without hope, we wouldn’t trust that God is working beneath the surface to anchor our roots down deep into Him, giving us stability. Without hope we wouldn’t dig our roots into God’s word, and we wouldn’t be able to anticipate the breakthrough of Spring.
When we find ourselves in a winter season, longing for the Spring to come, we must not lose hope. We must remain faithful. Though we don’t know when God will choose the time for flowers, we can trust that He will have them come.
Every year, as the sunny days of Spring come, my garden seems to come to life. The result from all the hard work deep beneath the soil, fills my garden with beauty.
Every year.
