A Partnership with God
A Partnership with God
During these rainy days of late February and the coming ones of early March, I’m sure you are like me. We are looking forward to longer days, warmer weather and bluer skies.
I’ve also found this time of year is a lovely time to plan ahead, to imagine what will be coming very soon, and to be partnering with God.
What I’m talking about, of course, is gardening! The combination of hard work, imagination, and faith offers the perfect reminder of what God expects from each of us.
First, with imagination, we have to see beyond just empty space or a pot. God calls to imagine the beauty that can and will be.
Next comes the work.
While imagination is necessary, the work of preparing the soil, buying the seeds and plants, carefully placing them in the ground, watering, cultivating, weeding and caring are essential elements for the beauty and bounty that is to come.
And finally, we need faith.
For any garden to work, all efforts fail if we aren’t partnering with the mystical nature of sun, rain, seeds, and soil. This magical combination of each is one of God’s many gifts.
And the fact that we can participate in this special partnership makes gardening an excellent parable for how God calls upon each of us to live every day.
So with imagination, hard work, trust in God’s providence, and faith in God’s good creation, let us live this week to the fullest!
And in the meantime, here are some of my playful, poetic thoughts on gardening for this time of year.
TO PLAN AHEAD FOR LOVELINESS
O what a pleasant recompense,
To cultivate some soulfulness
And plan ahead for loveliness
With sight beyond the present tense.To see a garden where there’s not
And vibrancy of earthen pot
A brilliant colored waving plot
In place of present muddy lot.Envision blooms soon high astride
A latticed wall securely tied
And flowers shouting out with pride,
Replacing earth tone’s wintry side.I know what pleasure gardens bring,
Because the joy is not just spring;
But souls in early winter sing
Of future plans for gardening.So nurture now your soulfulness,
And plan ahead for loveliness.
Have a great week!
Dr. David Jordan is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Decatur. He is author of several books and regularly contributes to Baptist News Global.