When thinking of the garden as life, this quote comes about as close as possible:
“Ellis,” he said. “You’re watchin’ a miracle right under your nose.” He gave a few of the seeds to Ellis and let him drop them into the hole he had already made. “In each of them little things, God put life. Now you take care with it, and you feed it with water and sunlight. And, most important of all of ’em, put it in good ground, and that life is gonna sprout right out.” – Tracy Winegar, Good Ground
It’s Just How I Feel
That is how I feel, every time I put a seed in a little bit of dirt. Spring is on her way, and I am eagerly awaiting for the time my hands are wrist deep in the ground. It is a time of hope.
Each day, I walk outside to see if there is any progress. At the first sign of tender green popping through the dark soil, my heart leaps with pure joy. My mouth waters thinking of all those delicious flavors being savored and enjoyed at any given meal.
The Correlations of a Garden to Life
A garden is a great correlation to life itself. Our bodies, our thoughts, our daily walk in life needs to be handled with the same love and care we give our gardens. We take great care to make sure the soil is healthy; the seeds we plant are viable; weeds are plucked out; they are fed with water and sunshine throughout the growing season; the harvest is joyfully picked and eaten, to give strength to our bodies to grow another garden the next year.
Our bodies are the physical correlation to the soil. In order to produce a viable harvest, we need to care for it relentlessly. Eating the proper foods, exercise and the attention to detail keep us fit. The seeds we plant are our environment and our thoughts.
What we observe, and how we think about it determines the viability of the seeds. Seeds of love, kindness, compassion, understanding and mercy are all seeds that can bring a delicious, fulfilling harvest. Seeds of hatred, mean-spiritedness, spite and envy may sprout, but the eventual harvest will be empty, and will taste bitter.
Outside Influences
Outside negative influences – or weeds – can crop up without notice. If we leave them to grow, the plants we are growing will either be choked out completely, or grow weak and spindly and ending up not having enough energy or nutrition to produce anything other than inedible fruit.
By pulling out the weeds, the plants we are trying to grow will flourish and gain the strength to produce beautiful, tasty fruit that everyone will want to eat.
Plants need healthy food to grow and flourish. Love, joy and positive thoughts are all healthy fertilizers for our bodies and souls. In order to feed ourselves, we need to consider everything that goes into our bodies – and not just food.
Psychologists will tell you that what we see, read, hear and associate with are all the things that will help to make us who we are.
The Joys of Ordering Seeds
The seeds I ordered came in this week. It was like Christmas, getting a gift I had been drooling over for months. Squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and to my pleasant surprise, a free gift of carrots! The carrots will be planted as companions, between other vegetables to make them grow stronger.
I am headed to town with my friend today. She is a person who encourages me to be the best I can possibly be, both on the farm and as a human being. God gave me a life that I love – it is now up to me to put the lesson Ellis was learning into place. And what better place to do that than on a farm.
What are you growing in your garden?
For more Life Reflections, visit Weaving: A Reflection on Life
