Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Tending the garden




I'm not a good gardener. In fact, I have a very black thumb. Whatever I plant tends to whither and die. Despite this, I keep trying because I love the outcome...if only temporary. I get excited to see the flowers blooming, the butterflies fluttering and the bumblebees pollinating. Nature doing what it does best, growing, thriving and producing. However, in the busyness of my life, I tend to neglect the very thing that I worked so hard to grow.

As I was pulling weeds today, it reminded me of a children's book that I read to my boys. In one part of the book, a little girl and her mom are tending their garden and pulling weeds. The mother uses the weeds as a metaphor to describe to her daughter how to nurture her spirit. Just like when we neglect our garden, the weeds choke and smother our plants, grass and flowers; the same is true for our spirit. When we allow negativity, anger, guilt, etc...to grow inside of us, it starts choking out the beauty and peace within. Surrendering our inner struggles to God and releasing the burdens of our life is like pulling weeds in our inner garden. Simplistic but true.

Although Aidan wasn't too thrilled with our task, it felt cathartic today tending to my garden. I was so thankful to God for loving me enough to cleanse my spirit, forgive my sins and listening/answering my prayers. Through God's Word, I am learning how to become the woman, wife, mother, daughter and friend He created me to be. I feel like a new flower bud blossoming and growing in His love.

2 comments:

Pam said...

Miss Tyra, don't kid yourself--You are a SUPERB gardner! We come over and pick your flowers all the time. p

Mika Ryan said...

So true...someone once called women the vacationless class. We put everyone first, and neglect our own needs. I think we should live our life full on, hold nothing back.....that way we model to our kids how to live, rather then live through them.

Carpe Diem!