It Started in a Garden

God loves gardens. He makes no secret of that. The first time we learn of Him deeply communing with humanity is in the Garden of Eden. When Jesus came to earth, He often withdrew to gardens or mountains to pray. He poured out His heart to His Father when no one else could comprehend the agony and loneliness He experienced in anticipation of the crucifixion in the Garden of Gethsemane. Even His grave, where He brought the good news of His resurrection to Mary Magdalene, was in a garden.

Gardens offer glimpses into God's heart in a highly intimate way. Stepping into one, we see the abundance and variety of creation, a riot of beauty and extravagance in an intimate space. All the flora, fauna, and processes reveal something about His heart and the way He operates. Even pulling weeds in the garden brings us back to thoughts of the curse and the Curse-Breaker, and the parables of the wheat and the tares, symbolizing the separation of the righteous and the wicked. The birds and flowers remind us to consider the lilies and the ravens, the sparrows who cannot fall to the ground without God knowing it. The God of the universe stoops to care for the little things, including us.

Gardens are fertile soil in which to cultivate intimacy with God. They are places that encourage you to stop and be still, taking everything in and waiting to hear what He'll say. They are refuges to pour your heart out to Him when nothing else can contain the depth of your rage, sorrow, or joy.

Jesus encouraged us to stop and consider creation in order to understand our place in this world and in our Father's heart. Whether your garden is a trail you walk, a few plants on a little patio, a cozy back yard filled with herbs, roses, birds, and renegade squirrels, or a giant, beautiful spread that requires a small army to manage, I highly encourage you to take some time out there with your Heavenly Father. Even if it's just sitting in silence and thanking Him for the things He's made and what He's doing in your life. It sounds simple and silly, but stealing even a few minutes to do that helps to cultivate gratitude and security in your relationship with Him. And that's part of a healthy Father/daughter relationship: security in who He is and who you are to Him.