In these challenging and unusual times, I find it helps to be intentional about doing things that feed our souls. For me, one of those things is gardening. There is a saying that we learn to garden and learn to love gardening from someone. For me, that someone was my Dad. I can remember working alongside him from a pretty young age, helping him plant and weed, learning the names of the plants and whether they liked the sunny garden or the shady one. Though I didn’t learn the name of these yellow flowers (pictured above), they came from his Massachusetts garden. They greet me with their cheerful little faces every time I walk by, and, as an added bonus, they’ll bloom again later in the summer. What a fond reminder they are of my Dad, a tangible connection to him. I loved sharing these plants with my daughters who have them in their gardens in Connecticut and Indiana. And what a joy it is to see my Dad’s love of gardening passed down to yet another generation.
There are a number of reasons time in the garden feeds my soul. It’s good to be active, good to be outside in this beautiful weather. It’s good to immerse myself in the beauty of God’s good creation, to free myself for a time from worrying about all that’s going on in our world right now. Being in the garden helps me feel closer to my Creator. And the garden serves as a metaphor for my walk with God. Like my spiritual life, my garden needs regular tending and watering from me, but ultimately the growth is God’s doing.
Have you noticed that yards in our area seem to be especially beautiful this year? Perhaps that’s in part because many of us have more time to tend to our gardens. Just maybe, it’s also because Mother Nature knows we need this added shot of beauty this year. And perhaps we have more time to
notice
the beauty that surrounds us.
What are you finding helps you stop worrying and what feeds your soul during this time? I look forward to hearing what it is and encourage you to carve out regular time to devote to it.
Jackie+
