In the Garden

A couple years ago you would never find me working in the yard. Oh, occasionally I would get out there and help my husband -- for a couple minutes. Just to appease my guilt that he was working hard while I ate bon-bons (HA!).

No more!

We relandscaped our yard last year... Wait. Truth in posting -- our wonderful friend, Nate, regraded and landscaped our yard last year. I'm so excited to see grass in my back yard for the first time ever -- that's eight years!!!

I love to be out there, allergy sneezes and all. I love watching the flowers bloom and the yard fill with color. And life. We have birds here now -- they enjoy all the beauty too.

I think about the transformation and realize the same thing happens in the Christian life.

For the past eight years, we tried to grow grass. Rob worked tirelessly, adding manure, planting seed and watering. It never worked. The same can happen for the Christian. We can read the Bible, pray and go to church faithfully, but see no result. As we needed to change the soil to allow grass to grow, the Christian needs a new heart to allow God's truth to penetrate and grow.

While I've been a Christian for a long time, there was sin in my past that I wouldn't let go. I held on to it, honestly, not thinking I was worthy of God's forgiveness. My self-punishment kept the truth from growing. Recently I decided to let go. I gave it to God and refuse to take it back. I see my heart softening, and more importantly, I have a sense of peace that I've not experienced before.

Working in my yard, I am always reminded that God's truth is beautiful.