‘Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed… to work it and take care of it.’ (Genesis 2 v 8 and 15)
The first week of May. The first wee bit of warm weather, in some parts a heatwave.
And in this part of the world the countryside is exploding with colour! There’s a lot of green (as you’d expect in Ireland) as trees and grass emerge from their winter grave, but also gardens bursting with azaleas and forest flame. Shrubs which I thought had given up and passed on are brazenly waving their blossoms in my face as if to say, ‘We’re back!’
Suddenly all those cold, wet days digging in wellies seem worthwhile as God faithfully renews the face of His earth. The garden lives again, a joyful annual reminder that my Saviour rose from death.
And I praise Him for His excellent creation, thank Him for His faithful love, confess our human stupidity and waste but renew my trust in the One in Whose safe hands our future is assured.
The following prayer along with others can be found in the Prayers section here on wordsurfers.com. Feel free to use and share.
Garden Prayer
Lord, deep down, we know
That it did not all start with a random big bang,
That’s just science fiction.
Much preferable is your revealed truth
Of a Genius Creator planting a garden,
A wonderful eco-system designed that all living things might flourish.
It’s we who are ruining it! We confess
The greed fuelled abuse which creates only
A hazardous, litter-strewn worldwide wasteland.
Lord, forgive us, and help us refind our roots in you,
Found by You, worshipping and unafraid, in gardens.
Make us pause to smell the roses, make us open our senses
To the endless colour and beauty that remain,
Each leaf, flower, honey bee, butterfly, with joyful urgency
Pointing us to You.
In a Garden called Gethsemane our loving Saviour
Suffered anguish but found strength and peace
In submission to Your will.
May it be so here also for us,
In this little patch of green,
For Your glory.
Amen
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