As I was walking back from relocating him to the pond, I was contemplating the attack on our garden by the critters this year, as well as the severe lack of rain, and now the extreme heat. Getting anything to grow, much less thrive, under these conditions is a lot of work - requiring determination and perseverance. Hmm. Working hard. Perseverance. Not giving up. Fighting the good fight. Staying the course. Working to produce fruit.
It seems like there’s a spiritual application here. In gardening terms, then, what fruit am I producing for the King? Am I being fruitful for His glory? Is there something to show for my existence? If I have been called into His service (aka accepted His Son as my Savior and now call myself a Christian), then I’d better be producing fruit. Not weeds. Not dry ground. Not barren bushes.
That’s going to require some work. (That’s a hyperbolic understatment!! ) O.K. What kind of work?
- It means fighting against the weeds that would invade. Perhaps the weeds are symbolic of what grows in my life if I’m not truly centered on my Messiah - the stuff that makes me spiritually unfruitful and wastes my resources.
- It means hours of watering because otherwise the ground is dry. Perhaps that’s symbolic of the desperate need I have to stay grounded in God’s Word and to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in all things. Without the Living Water, no Godly fruit is going to grow and thrive.
- It means fighting against the bugs, the birds, the squirrels, the rabbits, the ground hogs, the raccoons, the deer, and the turtles who are not only eating the garden, they are destroying in their wake. Perhaps the varmints are symbolic of the attacks Satan throws against us 1) to see how determined we are to persevere, 2) to incite us to complain against God (after all, He made the critters), and 3) to dampen our joy in working to produce fruit for God. And perhaps there are so many different varmints to help me realize that Satan will attack from every angle he can. He’s relentless in his quest to not only derail me from being fruitful for God, but to also cause as much destruction and death as he possibly can.
- It means fighting against the heat. While we do need the heat, extreme heat will keep the plants from setting on fruit. Similarly, when trials and troubles are heating up our lives (aka in the midst of the fiery furnace of illness, financial stress, relationship tensions), we need to find our relief in relying on God.
So what am I learning from this experience?
- God doesn’t insulate His people from trouble just because they belong to Him. There are still lessons to be learned and determination to be fostered.
- If you think you have prepared for all of the attacks, just be aware that there may be something you haven’t considered yet.
- Mulching the garden with thick hay is still the best way to fight against weeds. It also keeps the water from evaporating too quickly and insulates against extreme heat. As the hay deteriorates, it provides nutrients to the soil. Hay is a much better cover than cardboard or paper or landscape material. Similarly, fellowship, prayer, and meditation provide the insulation we need, to help us retain the Living Water, provide encouragement, and fight temptation in the midst of trouble. There’s no good substitute.
- God provides what we need when we need it. One person gifted us a small tiller which Ron repaired - a perfect tool for me to keep the weeds out. But, it involved some work to make it useful. Another friend gifted us a solar electric fence. So while God didn’t miraculously eliminate the weeds or the varmints, He did provide the tools I need to deal with them. Spiritually-speaking, God provides what I need to deal with the attacks and the temptations in my life. I just need to use those tools.
- Ron and I have spent more time together this summer working on the garden. Working as a team to achieve a goal is always more productive. I’m reminded again that a cord of three strands is not easily broken, and two are better than one. God did not intend for us to go it alone. We need each other. In the same way, we need our church family to effectively produce Godly fruit for the King.
It’s amazing how God can use the physical elements in our lives to teach us spiritual truths!! So in gardening terms, regardless of what varmints, heat, weeds, and drought you are currently experiencing, stay the course, fight the good fight, and produce fruit for the King!