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It was just a short paragraph in
the June, 2004, World Alive Missions Association Newsletter, but it
caught my eye. The title was "Backyard Gardening."
"In order to instill
(sic) a good sense of working spirit and to
eliminate idleness, the matured inmates [orphans
at Alive Children's Home, author's note] are sometimes made to grow
food crops in their garden around them, such as corn and cassava.
Unfortunately, this year's farms have been destroyed by contractors now
working on the site. We are looking forward to a suitable one next
season."
How Biblical, I thought, thinking
of Paul's warning to the Thessalonians against idleness. And, how
different was my reason for gardening at Gilmore Cottage, the site of
our church's community service project this summer. Other than an
overgrown lilac tree, the yard was a blank canvas for my creative
horticultural hand. Armed with all the necessary tools, I set to work, sculpting
a flowerbed that extended across the front of the building and
curved around the neatly pruned lilac tree. I planted a variety of perennials, carefully arranged according to
size, color and bloom time. By week's end, the carefully edged and
thickly mulched Gilmore Garden was ready for the public eye. It didn't take
long before people were stopping to admire its "curbside appeal."
But what of the garden in Ghana?
What a contrasting purpose the gardener had for planting.
Backyard gardening at World Alive Missions means planting for purpose
rather than perfection and feeding mouths rather than egos. It means
overcoming disappointment when garden plots are destroyed
by construction vehicles and plants die from lack of water. It
means relying on the ultimate Gardener who gives life to planted seed
and looking hopefully to a better crop next year.
From Gilmore to Ghana. What
has my garden produced this summer? How has my labor benefited
my neighbor? What will my harvest be? "A man reaps what he sows,"
Paul tells the Galatians. "Let us not become weary of doing good, for
at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (6:9). Last year, Rev. Charles Nyane reported the cost of three tutors for
one month at the Bible College was $250. I spent more on bark
mulch this summer.
Lending my hand at Gilmore Cottage was a good thing, but
God wants us to lend our hearts, too.
Help me, Lord, to use the
blessings of my life to benefit others. Let your Spirit guide me to the hungry,
the thirsty and the poor in spirit who need your loving presence. Help
me to garden in a way that brings a smile rather than applause and
to plant the seeds that bear eternal blessings rather than
seasonal beauty. Amen.
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