Skip to main content

Keeping Your Gardens


The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15)

      If where you live is anything like where I live, your hometown has been debating about how to be a better place, to draw in industry, business and good people. The debate has been going on for years and nothing seems to help. For most hometowns, these are not easy problems to solve, and, truth told, most of us want magical answers. We want someone to donate a billion dollars a year to provide all the material stuff that is needed, and somehow figure out how to make everyone love everyone while still giving everyone absolute freedom.

       When God created Adam and Eve, He didn't give them the whole world to work and take care of. He gave them a garden. Eventually, man was to subdue the earth and rule it, but he was to begin with his home turf. In our more complicated world, we sometimes have more than one home turf. One home turf is where you live. Another is where you work. Some people have places they go regularly, whether churches, fitness centers, coffee shops, libraries, etc. Some people feel comfortable with a larger home turf. They might think of their whole town as theirs. Where do you feel at home? Where do you have a vested interest? Where do you see an opportunity to do good?

        When I was in Florida, I re-delivered newspapers that the delivery person tossed somewhere in the vicinity of the subscriber's unit. In Erie, newspapers aren't thrown in the front yard. It's just not a way I can take care of my neighborhood. I was a little worried when I came home because I couldn't think of a way to help take care of my neighborhood. I shouldn't have worried because it came to me almost immediately. I take a grocery bag with me when I walk, and pick up trash. It's going to take a while to get my pathway back into shape.

        I'm not telling you this to make you think I'm such a great, kind, wonderful person. Even doing good things, there are times when my attitude gets sour. I'm sharing these things with you to challenge you to figure out a way to take care of your "garden." Admittedly, at the moment, I'm fixated on garbage. Clean up your own yard. Expand to your neighbors' yards if you can. If you're a walker, take a bag with you each day and fill it. It will add to your workout. If you're a dog owner, make sure to clean up after yours. Perhaps more importantly than those, determine not to talk trash about your garden - your home, workplace, church, neighborhood, town, etc. It's not all that your garden(s) may need, but it's more than will be done if you don't do it. It will help. No one wants to live in a garbage heap.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Think About These Things

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my...
1 comment
Read more

A Virgin?

           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)           This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)           But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”            “How will this be,” Mary asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more