i’ve been spending a lot of time working on a few potted plants that we have (named appropriately - basil pronounced bah-zil, bamboo, marigold). i can’t imagine the work needed for a garden but i anticipate having my own one day. gardening and farming are such foreign concepts to much of our modern senses but i think we’re slowly making a return to the natural with the rising interest in organic living. oh, if only there was a closer whole foods market near us. all these years i’ve been an undercover tree-hugger. i’ve been learning a lot about farming and doing some deep thinking about this vocation of miraculous returns over the years. there’s something right and profoundly spiritual about it. your senses are so involved. you do become more aware of the flavors of food and as some of you may know that’s something i’m passionate about. i love basil right now more than ever. it is more satisfying now to garnish a tomato and mozzarella dish with the fresh basil that you grew yourself. you are more keen to its flavor and the sensations it brings to the dish.
i’ve learned some other deep spiritual lessons along the way. gardens and plants need to be worked. we all need to work on our gardens. there are many scriptural references to human relationships and gardens worth exploring. anyways, tending to our gardens is very laborious and it never really stops. there’s always something to be done. i sometimes need to get in there and start pulling out the weeds and the soil needs to be softened. i need to water regularly and prune. likewise, my own heart.
i’ve come a long way since i lived with my good brothers in a house where we had to maintain a large yard. we needed to pull weeds and cut grass. having come from the city, all this was completely foreign to me but i was willing to learn and make do. i couldn’t tell the difference between weeds and other plants. i realized we were in deep when i was asked by my landlord why i didn’t pull the weeds. i responded, “i thought they were trees.” so you can gather how enormous our weeds had gotten.
the perpetual theme of farming is hopefulness. you leave behind the mistakes of the past year and look forward to a better year ahead.
tend that heart - soften it - pull out those weeds from the roots - plant good seeds - water and pay attention to daily - enjoy the blessings
*** already looking to tend to our baby boy’s garden. only 55 days away now and counting...
posted by affectionate @ 8/29/2005 11:51:00 AM
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