Walking in the Garden                                                 26 July 2015

I went for a walk in the Garden early this morning, delighted to spend time in my spiritual sanctuary among cool, green spaces.  Presently a stranger crossed my path and turned to walk alongside me.  “I think I’m in the wrong place,” he said.

“Why do you say that?” I asked him.  

“I was told that I would find heaven here,” he replied, “but I haven’t found it yet.  Do you know where it is?”

“Yes, I do.  It’s everywhere,” I smiled. 

“No,” he replied. “I’m sure you have that wrong.  I’ve been out there,” he swept his hand to indicate places beyond the Garden.  “And that is not heaven, not even close.”

“Do you know God?” I asked him.

“Well, I go to church every week, and I read the Bible.”

“Then I’m sure you’ve bumped into Him there,” I smiled again.

The stranger didn’t reply, but continued to walk beside me.  After a time of silence he asked, “Why do you say that heaven is everywhere?”

 “Perhaps I should correct that statement… heaven is where God is, and God is available everywhere.  So I should have said that heaven is available everywhere.  Yes, that’s better.”

“Well, then why am I having such a difficult time finding it?” he pondered.

“Did you come here to meet with God?” I asked.  A towhee trilled its pretty warble from an old stump by the side of the path.

“No… I guess I didn’t think of it like that… I came to find heaven.  You know, peace and healing and joy and all that,” he said.

“Ah.”

We walked in silence.  Suddenly he asked, “Do you know God?”

“Oh, yes!  That is, I know Him as a very close friend, and get to know more about Him every day.  There are still plenty of mysteries though!”  I smiled again.

“Tell me about Him,” asked my new friend.

“Absolutely!  Well, He is patient and kind.  He is never jealous or boastful or rude.  He’s not demanding, and He doesn’t anger easily at all.  As a matter of fact, He’s sort of forgetful, in a good way… He doesn’t remember my faults and my shortcomings.  It’s almost as if He sees right past them!

“He’s very sad when an injustice is committed, but when truth wins out, he celebrates wildly.  He never gives up on me, never loses faith in me, and He’s always hopeful that I’ll do the right thing.  And no matter what, He stays with me through thick and thin, even when I’m not the best of friends, or when I mess up.  He never fails me.  Ever.”

I laughed.  “He’s truly DIVINE,” I teased.

After another long silence, my friend turned to me.  “I want to meet Him,” he said.  “I want to know Him like you do.”

“Excellent!” I replied with a smile.  “He’s been waiting for you to say that.”

“Will you introduce Him to me?

“Why, I just did,” I answered.  “You have now met Him in me, and He’s yours, just for the asking.  Ask Him to come and live in you.  He’ll take it from there.”

“Oh, and one more thing,” I remembered.  “If you want to get to know Him, you’ll need to read some of those amazing love letters He wrote to you in your Bible!”

We said goodbye, and promised to meet again soon in the Garden.  As I wandered off toward my home, I heard the towhee’s pretty song again and gave thanks that I had walked that way this morning.