Each person has worth                                                             7 September 2015

 

Traveling outside of the Garden recently, I followed another driver for a mile or so, intending to turn right at the next traffic light.  The driver in front of me blinkered that she was also turning right at that light, but didn’t slow down very much until, in the turn, she came to a sudden halt.  She then proceeded an inch at a time, and I could see that a pedestrian was crossing the intersection through her intended path.

First of all, she almost ran him over.  Secondly, she moved her car right behind him impatiently willing him to get out of her way as quickly as possible.  From my viewpoint, it appeared that she would have cheerfully run him over if that weren’t a criminal action.

I looked at the man crossing the road.  He was old (probably my age) with gray frazzled hair (like me) and a beard, old clothing and a dirty backpack, possibly a homeless man, but maybe not.  The driver in front of me showed absolutely no consideration for his right to cross the road (he had the right of way), or actually (it appeared) for his right to even exist.  Geesch.

What is wrong with this picture?  What has happened to the concept of respect for one another?  How would she feel if someone had treated her the same way?

I’ve noticed that a little respect goes a long way toward building harmony in any circumstance.  Showing respect for another person means that you demonstrate an awareness that you have no more “rights” to anything than the other person does.  No more at all.  We are all individually created by the same big God.  No one is better, no one is lesser.

Respect doesn’t mean that you like the other person, nor that you agree with them, nor that you feel safe around them.  It truly simply means that you acknowledge the other’s right to exist, that he has some measure of worth, and that you have nothing more important to attribute to yourself than this person in who’s shoes you have not walked.

In the Garden, each person has worth.  Each person has been formed deliberately by God, and has been given a good purpose and a good plan.  Each person is loved and is capable of loving others in a healthy way.  This is why I prefer to live in the Garden. 

“But you are a chosen people [those who live in the Garden of God], a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Therefore… “Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor [and those who have been put in place of authority over you, whether you want to or not.]”

1 Peter 2: 9 and 10, 16 and 17 New International Version of the Bible

Free!                                                              29 August 2015

Way in the farthest back corner of our yard is a small garden that runs along the house and surrounds the air conditioning compressor-condenser unit.  It’s a part of the yard that we rarely visit, probably because it’s the smallest and least private part of the yard.  The oft-quoted “out of sight, out of mind” proverb applies to this little garden, so when I asked my husband this morning if there was a specific “yardening” job I could do, he immediately suggested that I take a look at that area to see if it needed attention.

Dragging garden tools and yard barrel to the back, I realized that we hadn’t weeded this garden for a long time—at least not since the end of winter.  The vining plants had taken over, so I brought our little lovebird out in her travel cage and set to work, pulling down strongholds of green briar, wild raspberry, wild pea and Virginia creeper.  There was Japanese fern vine, native Maypop, and some other viny thing that I don’t know the name of, all growing up and covering my pretty little dwarf azalea shrubs that break the winter spell with their tiny snow-like blossoms in late February.  The dreaded Spanish moss had also landed on these shrubs and had begun to hang down in silvery gobs- yuck!

Thorny green briar had grown up through the shrubs, building thick and heavy crowns of large dark leaves in masses over the azalea tops.  Japanese fern vine grows up next to the trunks and snakes its way around and around each branch, using strong wire-like stems to tightly squeeze whatever it touches and block sunlight with full, frilly clumps of light green ferny leaf sets.  The red-stemmed Virginia creeper just shoots up into the lower branches, looking for support by weaving its way through the center of the shrub without the clasping tendril of a typical vine.  I pause to consider that at least the local grapevines hadn’t found this part of the yard yet…

Ensconced in the masses that were growing as high as my shoulders, I worked to carefully extract each vine from the fragile shrubs—too much pulling or ripping would break the thin azalea branches.  Working from the ground up, I located the source of each separate vine, yanking roots and cutting deep into the earth to remove as much of the offending plant as possible before snipping my way to the top of each shrub.  What a job!  After two hours I finally finished removing all of the misplaced vines and stepped back to admire the cleaned out garden.  Yay!  Good for the next few months anyway, when cooler weather will step down the rampant summer growth for another year.  The azaleas almost seemed to thank me with a deep, happy breath of freedom!

As I worked to free these shrubs from the clutches of their enemy vines, of course it occurred to me that this is just like the work of the Holy Spirit to free us from those evil things that hold us fast and darken our worlds with their squeezing tendrils and thick, leafy shadows.  Anything that keeps us from the light of Christ is like a strong, sinister vine of danger and death.  I’ve written about this before—we can ask the great Gardener to help us clean out these snares so that we can thrive again in His presence.  Here are a few verses that demonstrate His willingness to help us weed our own gardens:

God spoke through he prophet Jeremiah while the Israelites were in bondage to the Babylonians: “‘In that day [the day of restoration],’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will break the yoke off their necks and will tear off their bonds; no longer will foreigners enslave them.” (Jeremiah 30:8)

Jesus began His ministry on earth by declaring that He had come to set us free: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4: 18, 19)

He also told the Jews who came to hear Him, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” and “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (Luke 8: 31, 32 and 36)

Not to completely confuse you, dear reader, but Jesus described Himself as a vine—a very good strong and life-sustaining vine, just like the grapevines that the Hebrew people knew well.  He told them this: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15: 1- 4)

If evil vines ensnare us today, we can turn to the true vine and ask Him to set us free from those troubles so that we can thrive and bear good fruit.  This is a freedom filled with joy and peace.  Like my azaleas, we can be blessed in the Garden today!

Change is here                                                                   23 August 2015

I wonder… as I mulch the flower beds this morning, I ponder the events of the past few weeks.  Riots to demonstrate that “black lives matter,” the international ramifications of a nuclear power deal with Iran, the daily argument about what to do with more than 11 million illegal immigrants, and Americans who are enchanted with the hard-line, narcissistic personality of a Republican front runner for next year’s presidential election… wow.

I came of age in the 60’s, when “free love” and altered reality was the response of many to the frustrations of the day.  Out of frustration I joined in demonstrations against the war in Viet Nam, but also participated in cheering for the soldiers who made it home.  I loved the folk songs about justice and peace, and gave away hippie beads and peace necklaces, and I wore a POW bracelet for years.

The Holy Spirit made news in the 60s also, by sparking a revival that had millions of young people talking about Jesus, and how He could change the world from the inside out.  They rejected the religion of the mainline churches as too institutionalized and cut off from the power of a personal relationship with an almighty God.  They filled streets and airports, subways and college campuses across the country’s urban and suburban neighborhoods, handing out tracts and calling on their peers to give their hearts to Jesus.  As one also disillusioned with the Protestant church and its dry, hollow routine, I avoided these “Jesus freaks,” looking instead for a philosophical wisdom that could provide purpose and direction for my life.

Zip for that.  Nonetheless I was a seeker, and continue to seek until God Himself drew me in by His loving kindness in the early 80’s.  So here’s what I wonder about: with all of the frustration being doled out in American life today, isn’t it time for a new wind of change that will turn people’s hearts back to God?  What will it take?  How long before even more deaths and riots and empty political rhetoric grinds away the people’s resolve?  Peter, Paul and Mary sang Bob Dylan’s song, “How many deaths will it take ‘til he knows that too many people have died?” [1]

This morning in church we sang a new song, a song for this hour and this time.  The bridge of the song is a statement that rings true to my heart, and a reminder of the power at hand:

“And the King is among us

And His glory surrounds us

And His fire is falling as we sing

“And the Savior is for us

And His love is victorious

And revival is rising in His Name”[2]

We can be encouraged because the King of all kings is indeed among us here, even in our intensely divided and bitter society.  He alone can help us to heal our land, find compassionate solutions, and bring peace to homes and communities.  Change—His change—is upon us if we pray for it in His Name!

---

[1] "Blowin' in the Wind," written in 1962 by Bob Dylan.

[2] “The King is Among Us,” by Elevation Worship, 2015.

“But Then” is now                                                                                     August 16, 2015

One of my favorite mysteries is found in this verse: “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

You can find this verse in the book of first Corinthians, chapter 13.  It’s verse 12.  This quote is from the New International Version of the Bible.  I found five different versions of the verse and combined them together; here’s how it comes out:

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling, dim, obscure, blurred reflections in a mirror,

but then—when perfection comes-- we will see everything with perfect clarity, as if face to face in the bright light of reality.

All that I know now is partial and incomplete, for I only know imperfectly at this time.

But then (when perfection comes), I will know everything completely and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as God has fully and clearly known and understood me.

It’s a favorite verse for many reasons.  There are three parts to it:

1. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling, dim, obscure, blurred reflections in a mirror… All that I know now is partial and incomplete, for I only know imperfectly at this time.

There are times in my life when it seems that situations aren’t going well.  A family relationship may be temporarily damaged, or a loved one has been too sick for too long.  Beyond myself in the world outside the Garden, the terrible events of the day—murders, riots, the apparent rise in mental illness, the chasm of racism that has opened again like a festering wound in our society or the horrible destruction of drug abuse and sexual immorality—who can truly understand these circumstances?  Is there an achievable solution?

Because I believe that God is good, and that He’s working things out for my good (and the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose), I can find peace in uncertain times.  I don’t need to have every answer right now, today.  Believing this verse helps me when I don’t understand how or why God is working things out in the way that I see with my imperfect, blurred vision. 

2. …but then—when perfection comes-- we will see everything with perfect clarity, as if face to face in the bright light of reality… But then (when perfection comes), I will know everything completely and understand fully and clearly…

“When perfection comes” refers to Jesus, Who is the only perfect One.  Some readers think this speaks to the time when Jesus will return (at the end of the Age.)  But I believe that as we unfold our soul and spirit to God, He enters into even the tiniest of moments and reveals Himself.  He enlightens us; His Holy Spirit teaches us a specific new thing.  “Perfection” comes in and sheds light on the matter-- we suddenly understand a new (to us) spiritual truth.  I had a friend who used to say “I know that I know that I know.”

3. But then… I will know everything completely and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as God has fully and clearly known and understood me.

This is so wonderful!  The writer of the 139^th Psalm declares that God knows every single thing about us—that He has known these specific and personal things from the very beginning when He created each of us.  He has known us fully, inside and out, then and now.

To think that an all-powerful and everlasting holy Being personally knows me, knows you—knows everything about each of us and still loves us as deeply as if there was no other—is simply amazing to me.  When we can believe this with every fiber of our soul and spirit, we are continually revitalized, refreshed, renewed.  This is life-giving knowledge!

There’s more—“then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”  Jesus is the perfection of God, but the day will come when each of us will be perfected—this is Christ in me, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27.)  We don’t have to wait for that day, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to seek this spiritual state day by day, moment by moment as we live and move and have our being.  What a promise!  I pray that each reader finds hope in this truth, and calls upon God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit to bring a revelation to their life today.  With love from the Garden…

I am Rich                                                                                             9 August 2015

In the Garden this morning I realize that I am rich—I carefully tend day lilies given by friends from their surpluses; gladiolas, rain lilies, heliconias and other plants have been given, too.  I sip hot coffee kept warm by a pretty green and purple cup-cozy knitted for me by my lovely daughter, and gaze at pink and red roses that remind me of those recently sent by my loving son in honor of my birthday.

An engraved garden sign has a poem about God; my dearest friend gave that to me, as well as the wonderful red bud tree beside the herb garden.  Wind chimes given long ago by my parents sway softly, their tiny tinkling a kiss to my dad now in heaven.  Several years ago my daughter and her friend gave me a gray and turquoise lovebird who shares the morning space in a travel cage beside me, listening to the early morning songs of wild birds around us.

I see the richness of other gifts around me in the Garden: a cultivating tool in my gloved hand from my mom; the compost cage in the corner from my sister; a well-maintained lawn and large bird-feeder, gifts from my husband.  I am blessed!

But my richness doesn’t come from all of these wonderful things.  I am rich because I have been given family, friends, children, husband.  These good people know me, and yet they still love me, still remember how much gardening means to me.  And I am rich because the love of these individuals has been provided over a lifetime by an even more loving God, Who is the supreme Gardener—giver of life, tender of souls, provider of all that we truly need to thrive in joy and peace.

“I bless the Lord: O Lord my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and with majesty and light! You stretched out the starry curtain of the heavens… {You} send rain upon the mountains and fill the earth with fruit. The tender grass grows up at {Your} command to feed the cattle, and there are fruit trees, vegetables, and grain for man to cultivate, and wine to make him glad, and olive oil as lotion for his skin, and bread to give him strength. O Lord, what a variety you have made! And in wisdom you have made them all! The earth is full of your riches.” 

Psalm 104 verses 1,2, 13, 14, and 24 from the Living Bible