Day 5--The Master Gardener

Gladiolas in the dew of morning

"And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden."  -Genesis 3:8

One morning while walking in my garden, this verse floated back to me. Ahhhh...God also walked His garden during the cool of the day. It made instant sense.

Early morning or early evening is the best time to be in the garden. In the morning, the plants are rested from the cooler temperatures of the night, the sun is gentle (the secret to good photos), and the entire day is still before the gardener and his garden--new and unspoiled.

Also, the cooler times are the best time to tend a garden, and good gardens must be tended regularly. I find that people who don't like gardening tend to perceive gardening as "too much work," but really it's not. Like any other habit, good gardening is more a matter of timing and regularity than actual difficulty.

If one works the garden in the morning when it's most pleasant, it's not such a chore to pull weeds, tie up drooping stems, and squash destructive bugs. The work comes as a natural extension of observing and caring for the plants. The pleasure of the walk through the garden equals the demand of the work.

Even the cat knows the garden (and the hood of our van) is best during the morning...

Incidentally, I think good parenting is a lot like good gardening. Here are some things I am slowly learning: if you stay on top of things and observe your plants carefully, things come easier. Don't try to make a shade plant bloom in the sun. Pay attention to their natural bend. Pull the weeds regularly. I find I only dread gardening and dread parenting when I've ignored the habit of a plant or neglected the garden too long, then the tending is rougher, the weeds become arduous and unpleasant to pull.  Good gardening and good parenting both require regular time and much patience.

But, If you stay in tune with things, you will enjoy the garden and your children--most of the time. There is always work. And the work is still work, but at least it is rewarding satisfying work, not mere drudgery. Also, there is a symbiotic relationship between the gardener and plants, and between children and parents-- the garden and our children give back. A well-tended garden means happy plants that bring joy to the gardener. A well-tended family brings joy to the parents.

The idea of God as a master gardener is underscored again and again throughout the Bible. He is not a distant observer but intimate with His creation. He walks His garden in the cool of the day. He is present. He tends. He pulls weeds---some now and some later. He is not the kind of gardener who plops pre-grown plants haphazardly into the ground and calls it good. He is long-suffering with us.

I love the endless, loud but delicate blooms of this pumpkin plant
--flashy in the morning, withered by mid-day.

Honestly, there are times when I have difficulty understanding how God enjoys his creation when we are so adept at making a muck of things. If you doubt this, just check your cellphone news app---there is always some new manifestation of evil to dread in this world.

But, when I walk through my garden in the morning, I sometimes instead get a glimpse of His joy in us.

And I am comforted to remember that He's with us in the muck, ever-present and awake:

"Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." -Psalm 121:4

He is never caught unaware. He is not intentionally passive or ignorant of any weeds in this world. Instead, He is incredibly aware and patient, careful in his greater plans for the best for us and the best for His garden.