Our Garden

It was the summer of 2011. I had desired my own garden ever since I was a little girl, growing up helping my mom with her huge gardens. I longed to dig up, plow, plant and water my own choice garden goodies. It was my second summer knowing Lucas and I wanted to see what he was made of... How does one find out what someone's made of? (There's many ways) Let them help in garden work that's the first step then watch them forget the garden or take care of it, this reveals a lot. This garden has taught me quite a lot about myself and Lucas in the four years it's been growing. The gardens pattern followed the pattern of our relationship. The first couple months we worked diligently on keeping it prim and weed free. We went out together to find the plants we wanted to grow and worked hard to keep them alive. We then put extras in, like mulche and bark. The days went by and our lives became full of other things, most were important but others were 'fillers'. The garden suffered. The weeds came in fast and began to choke out all the vegetation we strived to nurture. We were ill equipped to step into the mature role of tending just yet. We'd say things like I'll go tend it tomorrow but in reality tomorrow's day would fill up quick. Lucas spent more time than I did on occasion and other times I would spend more than he. There was never a unison, never a time after the beginning when we worked together to lighten the load of the other. Eventually it got so bad I couldn't take it anymore, and the garden was left unattended for about a year... Or so I thought. I would often look out the kitchen window examine the garden we both vowed to tend. The looming thistle heads and bind weed that no longer settled as the backdrop but took center stage bitterly reminded me of where mine and Lucas' relationship had come to... The weeds were too many for me, and the thorns pricked my skin. It hurt. But suddenly the view changed. The garden was seemingly clearer, but I wasn't brave enough to pull the giants looming in our garden, no but someone else was. I couldn't hope, I couldn't give rise to any thought of the bonds entangling the life in our garden to find freedom after all this time. It was too late. Or was it? The garden cleared up and was tended by someone who vowed to never let it die. This person was brave enough to pull the weeds even though the signs surrounding it shouted "Keep Out! No life beyond this point!" Even though the life was buried, underneath weeds and broken branches lay a flourishing garden of green vegetation. We chose to plant mint leaves because they are one of the strongest plants. Even if left unattended could survive drout, over-exposure to sun, weeds, and even deficit soil. Rather they grow, and grow, and grow and never stop growing. They literally take over. In light of our relationship, it takes time, effort and team work to tend this beauty between two. When there's daily pulling of weeds from the ROOT the little thistles will never be able to turn into the BIG thistles with seeded heads because once rooted out emmediately they won't spread, or grow any bigger. The bind weed that seeks to choke out plants and block out nutrients and minerals from the soil it blocks the life needed to sustain the plant. The quicker these are pulled the less likely they will be able to entangle. God designed us like our mint leaves; He designed us to be strong and vigilant in the midst of giants and grow just as fast as when our life source is threatened because someone brave is tending us. And just like Lucas was the brave one who entered into the garden to keep his vow; God also comes into our souls garden to pull out weeds, water the soil, and provide the nutrients it needs if only we'd allow Him! Our garden is beautiful and even though there are weeds and thistles, this time we're pulling the roots out as a team-with God! Three in one :)