Travel with me for a second to a good looking back yard, grass soft to the touch, and a watering hose in your hand. Not the drippy kind that’s got a little rot around the edges, getting drops of water on your arms and making mud where you stand. This is a new hose, one of those “treat yourself” situations.
Picture yourself standing there with your watering hose, the sun is casting a soft glow on your face, and you begin to spray the plants in your garden that look like they haven’t had water in 87 days.
If it’s not good looking back yard, maybe it’s a riverbank. Where ever you go when asked to picture this in your mind, sit here with me for a moment and honor the fact that water gives life.
This watering moment in the garden was a holy one for me. There I stood outside, not in a rush to do the next thing, nourishing the roots of the thirsty plants and flowers around me.
The part about it I find the most interesting is that sometimes I feel like we (you and I) are like the dry roots that need watering. Like the plants and flowers thirsty for life, we too can end up thirsty sometimes.
Our circumstances determine a lot about where we are planted and how are roots are handled. Some may have a regular watering routine. Some of us “aren’t plant people”, therefore don’t think much about watering anything. Others are desperate to root, but have been given a bed of rocks. While some who may seem neglected, absorb the nourishment of a single drop.
No matter where our roots are planted – water is essential and our soul depends on consistent nourishment.
Often times when I find myself in the garden, I feel Jesus doing a work in me. It is where we meet often, and one place where I feel most connected to His nourishing. My faith, tends to mirror the relationship I have with my plants and flowers. It is consistent and dependent on grace. Consistent in the fact that I truly love them always, and dependent on grace in the way that I often seek forgiveness for my shortcomings.
There is lots of weed pulling, pruning, tilling, planting with no fruit, and wondering if I will ever produce a harvest again.
It seems to be in those moments when I am discouraged and dried up that God brings the rain. When the effort to water the garden seems more like a chore than a holy moment, I am reminded of the many times that God has intervened. I hope that the miracle of living water comes in the exact way that you need to receive it if your roots feel neglected and dry today.
When we notice the weeds of poor behavior, limiting beliefs, or anything ugly that tries to take root in the soul soil of our being – It serves us well to do some pruning. When we participate in getting rid of anything unnecessary in our life, space is created for seeds to be planted. Less weeds and healthy soil increases the chances of a fruitful life.
“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”
The challenge this week is to check in with your root system. Do you feel nourished and connected to a healthy source? Or are you feeling brittle and dry? Step outside and check on the plants and flowers in your garden. If your space is over grown with weeds, that’s a good sign to start pruning. Add a little water, and have faith that your roots will keep rooting.
Local Pulse Writer & Holy Moments Columnist, Makenna Curtis
