Gardening and Covid-19

It has been quite the journey these past few months.  The Corvid – 19 virus turned the whole world upside down. But the final heart of the matter, God is in control.  As  it is winding down, for a while they say, we  have grown weary of  the “self-distancing thing” and want to get back to normal.  What the new normal is, we still do not know. 

From the beginning I believed that we should not waste this time.  God knows what He is doing, despite man’s opinion.  We can trust His plan, His will. 

When things like this happen, I like to go to scripture and see what happened to Bible characters in similar situations.  There was no pandemic, so to speak, as we experienced.  But people, and groups of people were set aside.

Noah was set aside for over a year in the ark.  As God’s plan, began to unfold and I am quite sure that Noah learned a lot. And God had a plan.

Moses spent 40 years as a sheepherder in the desert being prepared to lead his people from Egypt. 

Elijah was set apart when he was being hunted.  After his mountain top experience with the gods of Baal and the fire on the altar, he spent time by a brook and in a cave.  God fed him using birds, and he had water from the brook.

Paul was in the desert for three years, learning how to follow Christ, learning how to spread the Good News of the Gospel.

John was exiled and was inspired by God to write Revelation.

Jesus was in the desert for 40 days, fasting, before he began his earthly ministry.

God showed me that I should use this “set apart” time to reach out to others, be devoted in prayer, and be available to learn what God wanted to teach me. 

As I look back, I see ways I could have done better, but I see so many blessings that happened in this “set aside” time. 

These past few days I have been working in my flower garden.  My motivation had waned, I realized I was in a grieving period.  Grief is necessary for healing.  Our country, our families, our churches, and businesses are reeling from the impact of this scourge throughout our world.  As we emerge from this difficulty, we need time.  We cannot expect to just forget what just happened. 

As I dug around in the dirt, planting weeding, moving things around, I began to see a likeness in my life.  I had to cut away dead flower stems, dig out weeds, plant some new things and move some plants around. 

Dead matter has an impact, first, on the overall appearance. It is not pleasing to see dead flowers, and leaves mixed in with the fresh blossoms.  Dead matter must be removed. So, too in our lives, we must get rid of the dead parts in our life. Things that no longer are useful.  Things that get in the way of new growth. Dead matter can cause disease and impact how we move forward.

Then I had to move some plants because they were impeding the growth of a plant nearby.  Sometimes we must move things and maybe even people from our lives because they are hampering our spiritual growth.  In addition, I had to pull some weeds  They are so entangled, choking out the life of the desired plant. Sometimes it can even hurt the plant that is desired.

New bulbs and plants were added.  New life is always exciting. To see it sprout, and watch it grow to the plant it was intended to be, is one of God's wondrous miracles. 

My body is stiff and sore from this garden work.  But it is such a joy, to look out and see the result. 

As I strive to keep the garden of my  life free from dead matter, weeds and see new growth sprout,  I know that the stiff and sore body of trials and hurts and hardships, is worth it all. 

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5