As a gardener, we put a lot of work into the garden. We prepare, plant, water, weed, and nurture our plants. We fight off pests, bad weather and even deal with some pretty bad sunburns. So, why is gardening spiritual? Why is it that when I go outside to pull weeds and prune my tomato plants, I feel closer to God? What is it about the hard work of gardening that teaches me about God’s character? Let’s dive into this….
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Have you ever thought about the fact that even with everything we do in the garden, WE can’t turn a tiny misshapen seed into anything? Gardening has shown me so much of who God is. He is the only One who can pack a tiny seed with all the DNA it needs to grow into an abundant plant. No amount of watering or sunlight will turn a rock into a towering sunflower! Why? Because a rock doesn’t have the DNA to become a flower. I can spend countless hours toiling over that rock, providing it with the perfect environment, even warding off pests and predators…..but it will be a rock forever.
That is not the case with seeds. Why? Because a seed is destined to be a plant. It came from a plant and is designed to mature and show the beauty of that plant all over again. If that seed is placed where it’s supposed to be and nurtured as it grows, it will bloom into something beautiful and fulfill its destiny.
The growing season is packed full of spiritual lessons. My time in my garden has taught me that God is the master gardener. The experience of watching a seed’s growth has displayed His power and gentleness to me time and time again. Why is gardening spiritual? Because I’m growing a garden with God. And when I walk through my garden paths, He is walking beside me.
He is in the scent of the leaves, the colors of the blooms, and the taste of the fruit. I didn’t put those things there….He did. I simply did the work He put in front of me. God is good and He creates good things! The garden is His masterpiece, and I am thankful for how spiritual gardening has become for me.
The Garden Of Eden
When you stop and think about it, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we feel close to God in the garden. When God created Adam and Eve, He placed them IN a garden! We were quite literally created to be surrounded by God’s beauty and abundance. It’s no coincidence that the garden reveals so much of who God is because God created the garden for man. He walked with Adam IN the garden.
Over the past few years I have gone through some major personal growth. For me, gardening has played a large part in that. I consider my garden to be a sacred space where my spiritual life is nurtured – not just my plants.
I often find myself thinking about what the Garden Of Eden must have looked and smelled like! Can you imagine? A garden literally created by God’s own hands with no sin to stunt its production and beauty! I try to imagine what that would be like but my human mind can’t fathom it. In this fallen natural world, even the loveliest of gardens have plants that succumb to pests or disease.
Oh, to think about the beauty of that first garden! The perfect fertile ground, the full robust plants FULL of food, the colors and smells….it makes me heartsick to imagine how perfect it was. But it also makes me excited to see the gardens He has prepared for us in Heaven. Because you see, the Bible says that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. So if He put us in a garden at the beginning, He will put us in a garden for all eternity! This is something my spirit yearns for and I know that one day, will be fulfilled.
My Small Offering
Why do I garden? It wasn’t always a way of life for me. I grew up a child of the 80’s and a city girl. Going to the grocery store was all we ever did. My parents were, and still are, wonderful parents and I had the most amazing childhood! But gardening just wasn’t something they did, so it wasn’t part of my childhood experience.
To be honest, it wasn’t part of my adult experience until about 4 years ago. The food supply uncertainties through Covid are what peaked my interest in gardening. I started thinking more about how dependent we are on grocery store chains, and what I would do to feed my family if the stores weren’t accessible. To read more about my story, click here.
So, like many people during that Covid time, I started a garden. I had no idea at the time that gardening was about to become one of the most profound acts of worship in my life.
Fast forward to now, and I can see how each garden season has brought me through a new spiritual journey. God deals with me in the garden. He heals me and shows me His love and patience every time I go to the garden with my small offering of time and attention.
Just like the small offering a tiny seed brings of knowing who and what it could be, but being vulnerable and needing the care of a gardener to reach it’s full potential….I too bring my offering. I bring my small offering of knowing who and what I can be in Christ, but humbling myself before Him and needing Him to nurture me to my full potential.
And while I use my hands to nurture the tiny seeds that God has given me to steward, He uses His hands to nurture me and grow me into exactly who He wants me to be! No seed is too small to grow into an abundance of harvest, and no offering is too small to bring to God.
Garden with God and allow the Master Gardener to sift through your life, pull the weeds, prune the stems holding you back, and nurture you to your full potential!
The Faithfulness Of God
Every time I plant a seed, there is a little pang of worry inside of me that it won’t grow. Even though I’ve been gardening for a few years and seeds have a long history of growing, this worry still creeps in a little bit.
Sure, there are always a few seeds that don’t germinate properly and there could be a whole list of reasons for that. But time and time again, the majority of seeds do in fact grow. It’s something we can count on because growing is what a seed is supposed to do! The very act of gardening proves that seeds grow into plants….so why do I worry?
I worry because we live in a fallen world. And I’m not just referring to the western world and how corrupt our culture has become. Our entire world has fallen because sin is present. We are let down frequently in the natural world because it is full of imperfect people. Even those with good intentions will mess up and disappoint someone close to them. Sometimes the very thing we are expecting to happen, doesn’t. The world is not always faithful. But God is…..and one place He shows that faithfulness is in His creation!
When I walk through my garden each day, His faithfulness is all around me. Why is gardening spiritual? Because I garden with God and He does what He says He’s going to do, ALL the time! He is faithful to turn a carrot seed into a carrot and a tomato seed into a tomato. He takes one little potato and turns it into dozens of new potatoes in the ground!
Whether I deserve it or not, God is in my garden and He is faithful every single time. Faithful to grow food, faithful to forgive, faithful to love and faithful to protect.
Find A Garden
As I write this I realize that for many people, they feel gardening isn’t an option. But I assure you, you do not need a large piece of land in order to grow a garden! Healthy plants can grow in small spaces like a balcony, a patch of grass, and even on a windowsill! Wherever you are at the present moment is where you can garden.
Lately, there has also been a growth of the community garden movement! Community gardens are an amazing way for people in the city to access a larger garden space. I think these are absolutely wonderful, and if you live in the city there might be one close to you for you to enjoy!
My point is, I believe gardening is not only good for spiritual growth but also for mental health, as well as emotional health. In fact, a study from Psychology Today quotes:
“These studies have found evidence that being in green, or even being able to look out on a green landscape, is linked with better recovery from surgery, less anxiety and depression, better stress management, and many other positive effects.
The nice thing about a garden is that it can be right out your back door. And while you could just as easily spend time sitting in your yard, you’re much more likely to be outside consistently when the work of a garden requires it.“
Every time I leave my garden, I feel lighter than when I went in. I think that the peace and calm I feel in my garden is one of the spiritual benefits God has included in the package! And it makes sense because when I garden, I am in His presence. And His presence is peace.
Friends, a garden is so much more than just good soil, summer sun, and salad greens! A garden is where God positioned us to commune with Him. We were created to live in a natural environment, not stuck inside a house or car all day. I’m not saying God isn’t also in those places – of course He is. But a garden provides quiet time away from the hustle and bustle, where we can be in a position of prayer without all the distractions.
And because God created us to steward His creation, all the garden activity we enjoy leads to such a sense of accomplishment! Even young children can start a garden bed and feel proud of the work they’ve done.
For me and my life, there is no better place to be than in my own garden. I have discovered that my spiritual path involves me walking down my garden paths and marveling at the goodness and faithfulness of God. My garden grows an abundance of food – for the body, mind and spirit.
The garden life is a good life! And now is the perfect time to experience it for yourself. Start small, seek the Lord, and get ready to witness His amazing works!
Blessings!
~Maryann
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