Living the Garden Life

There are many ways to view life. Like it's a race—whizzing by us. Or a roller coaster ride—with us hanging on for dear life. Or maybe a canoe—with us floating on the tide. Through the years, I've had a closer connection to the roller coaster and longed for the drift of the canoe.

But my absolute favorite way to view life is like a garden. 

Here's how I see it.

Spring 2015

Summer 2015

The Master Gardener gives everyone their very own unique garden spot. He provides us with fertile soil, fresh clean water, and warm sunshine. He smiles. And then He steps back and sees what we will do with our patch. Humans give this garden a name—LIFE.

Now we all have the same natural elements to deal with—like those pesky birds of the air that can drop unwanted weed seeds or the winds that sweep in leaves and debris. We also have the dry, long days of summer which can scorch our foliage, as well as the torrential amounts of rain that can flood our plants. These elements are universal to all gardens. We don't have control over dropping seeds, flying limbs, extreme heat, or the over abundance of rain.

But we do have a choice in how we deal with those elements.

• We can stomp our feet and scream, "Noooo!" Again and again.
• We can cover our eyes with our hands and pretend the damage is not done.
• We can give up, set in the dirt, and just stop tending to our plot.

Most of us have probably done all three at one time or another.

Late crop of Bok Choy

But what really matters in the end, is not staying at any of those options for long. I've learned (the hard way), that after expressing my angst over the chaos on my land, it's best to brush myself off, survey the damage, and set about restoring order to my spot.

That's not always easy.

It requires getting on our knees and weeding. Or hauling off debris. Or plucking out damaged plants. 

Or maybe the hardest, patiently waiting for the swampy marsh to evaporate. But all of that requires action on our part.

Pallet gardening

After all, it's our mess, I mean, garden, I mean, LIFE.

And it's a beautiful gift from the Master Gardener.

When the total of my days arrive, I want Him to look down at my garden and see vibrant colors of beauty and blooming vegetation.

And more than anything, I want Him smiling.

Tammy Van Gils is a writer, blogger, and co-owner of S & N Paint Contractors, Inc. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Word Weavers International. In the Richmond area, she is a member of The Christian Writers Hub and Word Weavers Richmond. Visit her Facebook Page, Pinterest and Twitter @Tammyvangils.