How Does Your Garden Grow?
Do you remember the first time you planted something and it grew? A tried-and-true spring event in many preschools, kindergartens, or anyplace with young children is “the planting of the bean.” Since all you need is some potting soil, paper cups, and bean seeds, it’s unbeatable in simplicity. A little time on the windowsill to get some sunlight and judicious amounts of water, and before long a little green sprout pokes through the dirt (hooray!). Within a couple of days, there’s a leaf on a stem, and there’s more excitement at the progress. Someone always gives in to the urge to see what’s going on beneath the surface and upends the cup, discovering the portion of the seed from which the plant is growing. All told, it’s an excellent first lesson in plant growth.
Going beyond beans in cups, I’ve always loved gardens, and have wished that I had inherited the gardening gene present on both sides of my heritage. My mother had a flower garden in our back yard, with both perennials and annuals that created a spot of color and beauty. On my dad’s family farm, my grandmother had a huge vegetable garden as well as flowering plants. I enjoyed and appreciated those gardens from an early age, and walked in them carefully to see how everything was growing. However, I also remember Mother attacking the weeds with her little triangular hoe, and Grandma weeding and tilling to make the harvest possible. So the lesson was learned – lovely flowers, delicious early lettuce, or fresh carrots with that “earthy” taste don’t just grow randomly – they take consistent attention and cultivation.
The images of planting, growth and harvest are used throughout the Bible, beginning with the Book of Genesis, Chapter 2. We learn that God planted a garden in Eden, and put the man he had created in the garden to till it and keep (protect) it. So from the earliest teachings of the creation story, we learn that this beautiful creation is a gift from God, and humans are to care for it.
As Jesus told his parables, he used descriptions to which those listening could relate. He told them, “I am the vine; you are the branches,” illustrating their connectedness to him and to one another. He spoke of careless farmers, who let weeds grow up in the wheat and the resulting poor harvest, or of those who sowed seed on rich soil, rocky ground, and among thorns, with widely varied results. When the disciples wondered how they would find food and clothing, Jesus pointed to the beautiful flowers in the field, assuring them that their heavenly Father would provide for them as well.
And so we are called to continue the planting the seeds of God’s Word, caring for our tender little seedlings, giving them a good start for future growth. Many will be the times where we won’t know whether a seed has grown at all, much less reached fruition. But that isn’t the important thing, because whether or not we know the outcome, we’ll just keep on planting!
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers