The Incredulous Gardener

Where Are The Seedlings?

The incredulous gardener checks, reinspects her mini pots sitting on the shelves in her greenhouse. It’s been too long now, something must have gone wrong. Each day since planting the seeds into the starter soil she watches with eager certainty that within a short amount of time new life will break through the small mounds of dirt. Oh, she isn’t naive to have such an expectation, she witnesses this miracle again and again. It’s simple, really:  soil, seed, water, sunlight, warmth = plants – precious, delicate seedlings that will fulfill their destiny. They will grow with the care and nourishment needed and produce their own nourishment for others.

Still Miraculous

Not every seed makes it, but the majority of these tiny life-holders always do. Though it’s simple science, she senses the power of the miraculous when life comes from the lifeless. It never gets old for this incredulous gardener.

The Incredulous Gardener

Why is it different this time? She bends lower than usual to see something, anything that says life will indeed break forth from the burial of the seeds. Still nothing. The gardener supposes there’s little to no hope at this point. When should she give up and empty the contents of the tiny pots? Maybe she should throw the whole bunch out, containers and all in case it has become contaminated somehow. In all her years at this she’s never had a case when not even a single seedling erupted from the darkness.

She walks through her gardens where color and blossoms and health bring a sense of joy and satisfaction, gratitude for the miracles of life. Though she cannot fully enjoy the loveliness surrounding her because she can’t stop thinking about those failed seedlings just feet away in her greenhouse.

Realizing Failure

The next three mornings bring the same scene before her eyes upon entering her greenhouse. She speaks aloud to herself that she has indeed failed. Why haven’t the things that have always worked for me before worked this time? What if there’s no answer? What if it happens again and again and I can no longer rely on what I know? She’d been productive for so long with her dutifulness. She couldn’t imagine calling herself a gardener if she doubted her role in it all.

Not to have the results she desired was one thing, but not the thing that most alarmed her. She was used to trial and error and some loss once the plants went into the ground. Everything from weather to rodents, birds and insects could take out a plant. The best laid plans and techniques could not ensure protection. The bigger issue was that the greenhouse had always been a guarantee, a safe place for the time being; but this time it hadn’t been enough. This new inconsistency made her feel powerless, confused, frustrated.

A Rare Beauty

Sipping her coffee she looked a few yards away to her left where her favorite bush waved to her in the breeze of the morning. Its wild limbs were not a few, nor were they traditionally shapely. The specific yellow color of its tender leaves could not be described with a name already in existence – pale green sunshine was the closest she could come. She fell in love with the planting upon sight, already at home and thriving in the gardens of her old venerable new-to-her home. That was 15 years ago and still it remained her favorite among the many other beautiful, identifiable plants and trees in the gardens. This favorite of hers had recently bloomed all over with violet-lilac-pinkish flowers. She took such pleasure in its unique, almost rebellious beauty.

These gardens had made a gardener out of her these past 15 years. It had become a place to daydream, write, photograph, relax, escape the temptation to dwell on unpleasant things. She took great pride in all she’d done to perfect it as each guest of hers marveled of its glory. But the best one, her favorite one she could take no credit for. It was merely a gift, planted by another.

Planted By Another

Planted by another. Maybe she had put too much emphasis on her own role. She hadn’t designed the science behind her successful garden and she certainly hadn’t designed the intricacies of the plants and flowers and leaves on the trees.

The Perfect Caretaker

The incredulous gardener, stunned that tears would spring to her eyes in that moment, had a vision settle in her mind – there she was with her gardening hat and gloves all dirty from the toil, but changed somehow. In the vision she was not alone. She walked hand in hand with the True Gardener as He led her down a narrow path. The path that stretched before them had places of green, lush growth as well as places of dry, rocky desert. Along the path she could see bright, clear skies and places where dark skies seemed to cover all. She understood that everything was His; even she existed because of Him. She had no desire to ask for an explanation for the things she thought she knew, for it was clear then that He was the perfect caretaker.

The only certainty in life was Him.

…Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Job 1:21

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23