In My Garden

Many years ago I found a little paperback book called The Practice of the Presence of God.  Brother Lawrence was a 17th century monk who felt God’s presence no matter where he was or how menial his job.  He didn’t just worship God, he had an intimate companionship with God.

Ever since I met and married my husband, Brad, I have felt blessed in a way I had never experienced before.  At the time we met I was learning to be content with the solitude that is part of living alone.  I had no expectations and no dissatisfaction with my life as it was.  Oddly enough, for more than 10 years now, I have felt closer to God than I have in many years prior to this.  But it wasn’t until we moved to Maine that I really began to feel truly close to God.

I had never actively involved myself with gardening or yard work; but I was quite willing to enjoy the results.  Our new property had lots of garden areas that were all overgrown from neglect so I felt inspired to give gardening a try.  Gardening is now one of my favorite activities and I have discovered that working outside provides an outstanding backdrop to worshipping and communing with God.

As Christians, how often do we stop and simply worship in the moment, thanking God for His creation and our place in it?  In the nine years Brad and I have been married we have never conversed much.  Brad isn’t much of a conversationalist and being very heard of hearing inhibits conversation even more.  Our children and friends have often considered us… strange because we can sit almost side by side at our computers and not speaking for hours.

The truth is we feel each other’s presence in an intimate way that requires no verbal communication. That is also how I see my relationship with God. When I am tending the gardens I rejoice and thank God for His beautiful creation. When I am picking berries thank God for his providence. Even when I am working indoors I am thanking God for the beautiful house He led us to and for a life I never thought I would have.

The purpose of this blog is to share my meditations with God and my outdoor activities.  There will be lots of photos of my yard and gardens, exploring ideas about adding new plants and sharing my adventures with growing vegetables.