Spring is here and I am looking forward to getting my hands deep down in the dirt. Gardening, like blueberry picking is therapy for me. Colorful cosmos, perky pansies, and poppys are my favorite! I love to take that clean slate of dirt and create something beautiful out of it. Watching it's progress over time brings me satisfaction.
This past year I read The Shack, a novel written by WM. Paul Young. The Shack is a story about a man named Mack who is mysteriously invited to a shack, a place of painful memories for him. At the shack he comes to terms with the horrible death of his daughter, as he has an incredible experiece with God. Can you imagine having coffee with God out on the porch, or lying on the dock with Him, while looking up at the stars that He created? This amazing book had me both laughing and crying. My favorite part of the book is when Sarayu (The Holy Spirit) asks Mack to help her in the garden.
As Mack approaches the garden he is stunned. He expects a perfectly manicured garden. What he discovers instead is a crazy, chaotic beautiful mess. Vegetables, herbs and fruit trees are randomly planted among a dazzling display of flowers. It is an amazing array of wild colors and patterns. Mack assists Sarayu with preparing ground by digging up roots. When he is finished, he steps back to survey the messy, but beautiful garden. He realizes there is still more work to be done. At this time, Sarayu reveals the secret of the garden to Mack:
"Mack, this garden is your soul. This mess is you! Together, you and I, we have been working with a purpose in your heart. And it is wild and beautiful and perfectly in process. To you it seems like a mess, but to me, I see a perfect pattern emerging and growing and alive."
I love this story because it reminds me that despite the mistakes we make, we are a work in process. I am a mess and God sees it as a lovely mess! Everyone has made mistakes. Being a "good" Christian, if there is such a thing, does not mean trying to follow all the rules, especially rules imposed by others. If one is truly seeking God he/she will have a desire to become the person God has created them to be. You can't expect a caterpillar to fly. It has to be transformed over time. He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil 1:1) If you have made mistakes, let them go now! God is the author of forgiveness. They don't have to define you. There was a time in my life that I tried to act like a Christian and I did what I thought was expected of me. Let me tell you something, God does not want counterfeit, cookie cutter Christians. You are an original work of art. Pleasing others or trying to be like others will consume you. You will lose your passion for God. Walking in the land of religion will leave you feeling empty and feeling like you should do more. Aim to please Him. And better yet, don't judge others. Their walk is not going to look like your walk. It is frustrating when I hear people complain that they don't want to go to church because they feel like they aren't like the others there. You don't have to be, and maybe you are not supposed to be! Your beautiful messy garden of life is unique, created by the Master Gardener.
This past year I read The Shack, a novel written by WM. Paul Young. The Shack is a story about a man named Mack who is mysteriously invited to a shack, a place of painful memories for him. At the shack he comes to terms with the horrible death of his daughter, as he has an incredible experiece with God. Can you imagine having coffee with God out on the porch, or lying on the dock with Him, while looking up at the stars that He created? This amazing book had me both laughing and crying. My favorite part of the book is when Sarayu (The Holy Spirit) asks Mack to help her in the garden.
As Mack approaches the garden he is stunned. He expects a perfectly manicured garden. What he discovers instead is a crazy, chaotic beautiful mess. Vegetables, herbs and fruit trees are randomly planted among a dazzling display of flowers. It is an amazing array of wild colors and patterns. Mack assists Sarayu with preparing ground by digging up roots. When he is finished, he steps back to survey the messy, but beautiful garden. He realizes there is still more work to be done. At this time, Sarayu reveals the secret of the garden to Mack:
"Mack, this garden is your soul. This mess is you! Together, you and I, we have been working with a purpose in your heart. And it is wild and beautiful and perfectly in process. To you it seems like a mess, but to me, I see a perfect pattern emerging and growing and alive."
I love this story because it reminds me that despite the mistakes we make, we are a work in process. I am a mess and God sees it as a lovely mess! Everyone has made mistakes. Being a "good" Christian, if there is such a thing, does not mean trying to follow all the rules, especially rules imposed by others. If one is truly seeking God he/she will have a desire to become the person God has created them to be. You can't expect a caterpillar to fly. It has to be transformed over time. He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil 1:1) If you have made mistakes, let them go now! God is the author of forgiveness. They don't have to define you. There was a time in my life that I tried to act like a Christian and I did what I thought was expected of me. Let me tell you something, God does not want counterfeit, cookie cutter Christians. You are an original work of art. Pleasing others or trying to be like others will consume you. You will lose your passion for God. Walking in the land of religion will leave you feeling empty and feeling like you should do more. Aim to please Him. And better yet, don't judge others. Their walk is not going to look like your walk. It is frustrating when I hear people complain that they don't want to go to church because they feel like they aren't like the others there. You don't have to be, and maybe you are not supposed to be! Your beautiful messy garden of life is unique, created by the Master Gardener.
The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
Is 58:11
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