 | |||
|
 |
|
 |
| |||
|
 |
Summer 2004 | Volume 26, Number 7 | My Response | |
| Finding God in the Garden By Debra Prinzing �81
Where do we see, hear, feel and inhale God�s presence? Nature is an obvious place � mountains, oceans and vast plains stretching out as far as the eye can see � but for many of us, the grand expanse of nature isn�t always accessible. And perhaps that�s why we turn to nature on a small scale: Our backyards and our gardens offer telling glimpses of God. At the recent Seattle Pacific University Queen Anne and Magnolia Garden Tour, I spoke about �finding� God in the garden. I�ll admit that I feel a bit inadequate talking or writing about this subject, since it�s so difficult to fully experience God�s unlimited creativity, enormous goodwill and loving generosity in the midst of our fast-paced lives. But mere glimpses of his greatness are, I�ve decided, OK. There�s as much breathtaking joy in a split-second view of spring�s first rosebud about to open as there is in sitting on a remote mountaintop gazing at all of God�s creation. In fact, the most surprising sense of awe I�ve experienced happens when I�m tending to my garden. I�ve been treated to many undeserved gifts: seeing a tiny hummingbird, darting from blossom to blossom, sipping at its God-provided nectar source; noticing a perennial bursting into flower, a plant I don�t recall ever having planted; or viewing a breathtaking display of the �Red Forest� pansy tree�s plum-colored leaves glowing as the afternoon sun sets behind it. If someone asks why I love to garden, I quote 20th-century English writer Beverley Nichols. He wrote, �... Surely, if you are privileged to own a plot of earth, it is your duty, both to God and man, to make it beautiful.� I try not to say that I have to �work� in the garden, however. While there are many necessary and ongoing tasks that garden-makers must undertake in order to care for their plants, to me, these are anything but work. Anyone who has a patch of earth to call his or her own should appreciate this cherished opportunity to observe creation over and over: planting a seed; providing it water, sun and fertilizer; protecting its first young leaves from pests and disease; giving it support and shelter from harsh elements as it matures; and harvesting its blooms or fruit. Then the cycle starts all over again. It�s a terrific lesson in God�s faithfulness to us, as he provides for our needs. The Message, a contemporary translation of the Bible by SPU alumnus Eugene Peterson �54, reminds us in Matthew that �If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers � most of which are never even seen � don�t you think he�ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you �?� Whether we are aware of it or not, I think the pursuit of beauty in the garden is a pursuit to know God better. The very act of gardening gives us hope. It gives us a metaphor for understanding God�s abundance and life-giving restoration. And the act of expressing beauty with each petal, stem and leaf of God�s creation is, for me, an expression of my faith and hope in him. If you�re not a gardener, you can find your own symbol for God�s truths. It may be taking a hike or sailing a boat, or listening to a heart-breaking symphony. But we need to embrace God�s love and slow down to rest in his presence. Even if that means pausing to see God�s greatness in the face of a tiny flower. Having spent all of my childhood listening to my father�s sermons and my mother�s Sunday school lessons, I�ve learned a bit about giving benedictions � the promise of hope at the end of a church service. I included a gardener�s benediction, of sorts, in my new book, Pacific Northwest Garden Survival Guide. I didn�t realize it was a benediction until I saw it in print. Perhaps it will send you off to see the garden in a new way: �I wish you a wonderful journey that will introduce you to many generous and supportive gardening friends � May your gardens be free of slugs; may your soil be rich and organic; and may you enjoy equal parts rain and sunshine.�
Debra
Prinzing �81 writes about interior design for The Seattle
Times and gardening topics for national publications. She
is the author of Pacific Northwest Garden Survival Guide (Fulcrum
Books, 2004). She also co-chairs the SPU Queen Anne and Magnolia
Garden Tour Committee. For more information on the topic of
finding God in the garden, she recommends the following two
books: Soul Gardening: Cultivating the Good Life by
Terry Hershey and Gardening Mercies: Finding God in Your
Garden by Laurie Ostby Kehler. |
|
 From the President Equipped for Success Honor Roles Three Faculty Say Good-Bye The 2004 Medallion Awards Attack of the Big-Screen Clones The Heritage Mile
|
|
