A Well-Watered Garden

Guest post, by Angela Jelf

 

During early Spring, you will often find me in the garden - especially first thing in the morning, before the rest of the household is up. If you saw me, you might think I was a little strange, pottering up and down in my pj’s, mug of tea in hand, staring intently into my flower beds.

You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail – Isaiah 58v11 (ESV)I’m looking for the slightest sign of growth. A new bud on my cream roses. A clump of geranium, suddenly fuzzy with flowerheads. An elegant Iris, about to burst open, its petals as dramatic as the ruffles on a flamenco dancer’s dress.
Eighteen years ago, our garden was an eyesore. It consisted of a patchy terraced lawn, flanked by two strips of dry, stony earth. The only thing growing in it were barrow loads of vicious-looking prickly weeds.
Back then, I knew next to nothing about gardening. But I loved flowers. And I’d learned from watching my mum, that lovely gardens don’t just happen by chance. They require work. And so, I rolled up my sleeves.
Digging out those weeds, many of which had deep taproots, was back-breaking. The soil was heavy clay; the type that literally sticks to your boots after a downpour and dries out like sands of Arizona in the sunshine. Before I could even think about planting any flowers, I had to dig deep and work in bags of organic matter to break up the huge clumps of rock-like soil.
I see many parallels between gardening and writing. As Kingdom Writers, we long to create something lovely. We want our words to bless others, brightening up their day with unfurling hope and vibrant joy. We want flowers! But preparation is key.
A flower’s journey begins way beneath soil-level. That’s just the bit we can see! The source of its flourishing lies in its roots; in the nourishment it receives deep below the ground, coupled with the light and water it needs to grow.If we want to write messages that carry the beauty and fragrance of Jesus, we ourselves need nourishment from the source of life! In order to bless others, we first need to spend time with our Father in the secret place. We need His word to abide in us.  We need to cultivate the soil of our hearts, turning everything over to our Heavenly Father in prayer. We need to be rooted and grounded in His love before we can share it with others, drinking from His abundance and basking in His radiant glory.
But when you pray, go into the room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will reward you – Matthew 6:6 ESV
My garden is a work in progress. There are still gaps that need filling. There will always be weeds to deal with. The roses need pruning and mulching. The soil needs digging over. The geraniums need deadheading. My garden may never reach perfection.
But you should see how far it has come!
As we write our words and stories, let’s keep allowing God, the Master Gardener to do His work in the garden of our hearts. Then our writing will carry the hallmarks of His handiwork and become a real source of blessing and encouragement to others.

Angela Jelf lives in South-East London. She writes poems, stories, blogposts and devotionals for kids and adults.  Her work has appeared in ‘Keys For Kids’ Magazine, ‘Unlocked’ Teen Devotional & ‘Devozine.’  She has also written curriculum for ‘The Sunday School Store’.  She especially enjoys writing about all that God teaches her as she learns to tend her garden.