"Brief Devotions For Busy Lives" by Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson: Genesis 2:8-9

 May 19

"And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." - Genesis 2:8-9 (RSV)

One of the joys of May for many of us is the ability once more to get our hands in the dirt, plant seeds, and contemplate the varieties of gardens we may want to plant this year. Will it be vegetable gardens, flower, gardens, or perhaps a new herb garden? In May, the possibilities seem unlimited. Perhaps the poem "God's Garden" expresses some of our feelings best when it says:

"The kiss of the sun for pardon,

The song of the birds for mirth,

One is nearer God's Heart in a garden

Than anywhere else on Earth".

                    -Dorothy Frances Gurney

While we may wonder why we feel so close to God in a garden, it could be because God himself is the all-time Master Gardener. Genesis says it was our Lord who created all the trees, fruits, seeds, plants, herbs, grass, mushrooms, and every other variety of life. God is the gardener whose love permeates all creation. God is the gardener who says our value is not in terms of what we produce but what we are. God the gardener tells us, “What really matters is not your failures or difficulties but how much I care about you.” God still says "I care about you so much I am going to get down there with you in the dirt and manure and together, we will create new life." Could it be people are moving away from Christianity today because many have separated their faith from the glorious God revealed in Creation? Nothing makes us more aware of God's love than working in a garden. While we may read about the death and resurrection of Christ in the Bible, we can experience resurrection reality when we plant seeds and watch them bloom into new life.

Prayer: Creator God, Thank you for all that grows. Amen. 

Meditation For The Day: God's gardens never grow old.

Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Spring Renewal Paperback – February 21, 2017, by Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson (Author)