This spring my life changed.
I didn’t know it would change the day a garden crew came in and dug up my eyesore of a front yard. The yard is enclosed and yet, for over a decade, it had not been a place of pride or peace.
That changed early in April as I stood at my kitchen window and looked at what seemed to be a bomb blast in my front yard. Over the next few days, the excitement built, and by that Friday I could exit the yard safely and go out to lunch.
The plants went in the following week, and with the plants came the realization that this black-thumbed woman would need to become a steward of life and not kill the things. Following the guidance of my gardener, I’ve watered weekly. I’ve also hoped for rainfall. I’m in The Netherlands, and here, rain happens. As I write this, the few drops that fall today have me begging for more of the wet stuff. We’ll see.
The yard has been enjoyed, and the plants are showing both growth and bloom. The yard is blooming, and something is happening within my heart: could it be bloom?
The desire to live outside for part of the day is new to me. I find myself seeking the sun, warmth, and peace of a place that eleven years ago did not welcome me. Have I become a garden lover?
My yard has rekindled my morning spiritual time. It has energized my soul and my body. This space is nurturing something I didn’t know I had! While I’m not digging in the soil, the soil of my mind is realizing that something deep within has been stirred spiritually.
I don’t know how to define it. Call it finding God in nature, finding myself in nature, worshipping the holy in my front yard, or simply holy gazing. Whatever it is, it is cultivating a love for my tiny little world in new ways. This new stewardship for the living is altering my desire to care for my little corner of the world. I feel like I’m contributing to the beauty of the world.
Within Community of Christ, we seek to follow Jesus, the Peaceful One. Since becoming a member of C of C, my understanding of world peace and peace in general has changed. As I sit in my garden, surrounded by its beauty, I’m discovering that I’m sitting in a welcoming and peaceful place. It calls out to me, softens my heart, and speaks a new language of peace to my soul. I want to sit in this place and welcome others to it.
Harlene Wood penned these words, and they ring true in so many ways for me right now: “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me…”
Let’s bring peace to our hearts, homes, gardens, and other spaces we inhabit.