The garden is running late this year. Cold nights (making for cold soil) have resulted in pea plants that sprouted on schedule, grew to a fixed point, and then sputtered and stalled out, stunted. The prophet Isaiah had things to say about who is in charge of growth, both in the garden and in the human heart:
“For as the earth brings forth its bud,
As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,
So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” (Isaiah 61:11 NKJV)
Here, Isaiah is addressing a people who had been appointed to be a kingdom of priests, a reality which will be realized in its fullest sense when Christ establishes his Kingdom, but, for now, the role and the right spills over onto present day believers, the Church.
Gardening is a hint, a reasonable guess, directed at biblical mysteries around growth, fruition, and results. In real time, here on the ground, we are called to bear witness to the bringing forth and the springing forth, the budding and the blossoming of New Covenant righteousness in the rocky soil of human nature and in the weedy fields of inborn willfulness. If our purpose here on God’s green Earth is to “put down roots” and “put up leaf,”* it follows, then, that God is with us in all our sprouting–and even in all our wilting.
Celebrating God’s Presence and God’s Work
The miracle of Emmanuel, of God with us, shows up at every garden and at every graveside. He is present for both victory and disappointment, and, therefore, our calling is clear: We are to celebrate the miracle of his presence.
There are no blinding Damascus Road beacons in my garden, no whiplash conversions from darkness to light. There is, instead, a quiet watering of work already begun, a gentle placement of stakes that support growth and encourage healthy formation.
Ten days with a hundred Christian teens bent on summer ministry can be a clarifying experience for a gardener who frequently questions the significance of her calling to teach and train believers. It turns out that a believing teen’s struggle with apathy and hypocrisy requires the same grace from the same Savior who longs to deliver less-catechized teens from drug addiction and immorality. The turn around from shallow faith and a safely-distant following of Christ is also a significant victory, and it is worth celebrating because God is present in this work.
Emmanuel is a horizon-filling name, and it is only in his power that the beloved of God answer the call to be saints. As the roots go down and the leaves grow up, they spring forth for his glory.
May the beauty of Emmanuel change your day and your life,
Image Credit: The lovely image of my garden featuring Isaiah 61 was a special gift from my friend Abby (who is also a special gift). She writes and shares her giftedness with graphic design at Little Birdie Blessings.
*This delightful phrase is from Maxine Kumin’s To Make a Prairie, p. 7.
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Michele, your words are so illuminating to me, especially theses quotes, “There is, instead, a quiet watering of work already begun, a gentle placement of stakes that support growth and encourage healthy formation.” And “Emmanuel is a horizon-filling name, and it is only in his power that the beloved of God answer the call to be saints. As the roots go down and the leaves grow up, they spring forth for his glory.” Many blessings to you friend ❤️
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Thankful today for time in the garden and for the truth of Isaiah 61! God is the instigator of all the growth AND of all the righteousness.
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Amen! And I have to say that this “hypocrisy and apathy” is a big challenge! If more believers would truly be what they say they are, it would help clear all that confusion. But since the roots are going down, the leaves would surely grow up again! Thanks so much for this reminder, Michele. Many blessings to you!
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Yes, the gap between saying and being and doing is a cavern in our following lives. May God help us to bring our confessional theology and our practical theology into the same space!
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I like when you said ” the rocky soil of human nature “. Excellent post.
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I wish it were not so true! 🙂
Thank you for your encouragement.
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I agree with all the specific phrases loved by the previous comments. Writing on our blog using this same metaphor for marriage has been such an illuminating process. God Loves to use nature to reflect who He is and how He cares for us.
There’s an old hymn I think of whenever I’m working in my flower garden. “I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses…and He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own…”
Great post, Michele! Have a blessed weekend—and I hope your peas begin to thrive. 😊
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Oh, thank you for speaking words of blessings over my pea plants! May it be so!
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Beautifully said Michele. I really like the words Beth mentioned. I think of my grandchildren when you say a …”quiet watering of work already begun”…. and wow – “Emmanuel is a horizon-filling name”. Indeed He is. How magnificent. Thank you for this reflection. ~ Abby
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And thank you for the image that got the ball rolling. You inspire me in multiple ways.
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Thank you for this beautiful reflection, Michele! So glad you got to participate in this miraculous work with teens.
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I was so grateful for the experience AND for the way God met me there in my weakness and dependence upon him.
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Michele,
Sounds like your ministry opportunity with the teens was “fruitful” (in keeping with the garden theme). As with all forms of ministry and gardening, we can till the soil, fertilize, plant, water, and prune, but ultimately it is God and the power of the Holy Spirit that makes faith and fruit grow. I have found that comfortable and sometimes apathetic Americans have a harder time seeing their need for a Savior than those living in Third World countries or those living with severe trials in their lives. Lovely post!
Blessings,
Bev xx
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Apathy and hypocrisy put deep roots into our hearts. The uprooting is true spiritual work.
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I love how God teaches us in so many different ways, many are soft and subtle so if we are not looking we miss them completely. What a blessing that you didn’t miss this in your garden of peas as well as in the lives of the youth. Many Thanks 8)
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God is gracious to communicate in so many different ways.
Blessings to you, Debra.
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There is a lot to learn by touching the soil. Thank you for this beautiful message.
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I do love getting my hands into the dirt!
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Thanks for linking up at the #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 2!
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Just these sentences are enough for a whole blog post! “The miracle of Emmanuel, of God with us, shows up at every garden and at every graveside. He is present for both victory and disappointment, and, therefore, our calling is clear: We are to celebrate the miracle of his presence.”
Thanks, Michele.
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Oh, thank you, Lisa! You’re a real encourager!
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I love this thought that we need “the same grace from the same Savior” no matter our age or issues (and we all have some). Beautiful post, Michele.
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That’s for sure! And our need is a powerful claim on Divine Assistance! Thanks be to God!
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“There are no blinding Damascus Road beacons in my garden,” either Michele. Instead, just like you, I have experienced a quiet watering of work already begun (decades ago!), a gentle placement of stakes that have supported growth and encouraged healthy formation day after day, year after year. Such perfect imagery for our patient Gardener and how he causes us to flourish as we depend on Him. Well done, Michele!
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I knew you were a kindred spirit!
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Gardening definitely brings me closer to God as I see HIs miracles everyday.
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Well said, Amy. It’s all miracle in the garden.
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[…] The Quiet Miracle of Roots and Leaves. Lots of good stuff in this one. “It turns out that a believing teen’s struggle with apathy and hypocrisy requires the same grace from the same Savior who longs to deliver less-catechized teens from drug addiction and immorality.” True for us adults, too. […]
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What a challenging, stretching, amazing opportunity to work with 100 teens!
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It was amazing! And I was grateful.
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So true your words about teens…all need the comfort of God, even those just facing life and new experiences as well as those more challenged and having more difficulties because of outside influences. They were blessed to have the time you shared with them, I’m sure. Have a pleasant week.
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That’s so kind, and I learned a lot as well.
Now, I have another opportunity next week to work with the teens from my own church in a children’s outreach!
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The ministry of presence is so very powerful Michele!
Bless you,
Jennifer
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Very true.
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Beautiful words and beautiful reminder of God’s presence. I just bought a home with a garden and I’m looking forward to quiet moments digging and weeding and planning and thinking.
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You have a lot of joy (and hard work!) ahead of you, my friend! What a blessing it is to grow things!
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100 teens…I don’t think I could have done that…I always find peace in the garden my favourite place or a walk …A lovely uplifting post #SeniSal
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Well… it helps that I was not responsible for all 100! Thanks for your thoughts, Carol.
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This is a post after my own heart. My garden quietly teaches me God’s lessons every season. Isn’t it beautiful how God’s creations speaks?
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Oh, that’s good to hear, Heather.
Yes, my garden is a megaphone for God’s voice. I’m thankful he doesn’t need a megaphone to hear mine.
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Oh, Michele, I LOVE TEENS! I love where you write about the same grace being needed for their different struggles— just like us! And this quote, “The miracle of Emmanuel, of God with us, shows up at every garden and at every graveside. He is present for both victory and disappointment, and, therefore, our calling is clear: We are to celebrate the miracle of his presence.” is beautiful!
You have such a way of expressing yourself, such a way with words. Such a gift! Thank you for using it in this way.
Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements!
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Patsy, you are such an encourager!
Blessings!
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I am sure the teens you worked with felt the blessings of Emmanuel through you, Michele. Even the teens who are stunted in their growth from cold nights, cold relationships, and a cold faith can blossom and bear fruit when they are gently sprinkled with some living water. Loved this well-written post, as always!
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OH! That’s my prayer, Laurie, and as our own church’s teens put their training to work next week, that’s my hope for the kids we reach here in Mid-Coast Maine.
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Such beautiful words, Michelle #abitofeverything@_karendennis
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Thank you, Karen!
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I love the reminder that it isn’t always blinding lights to get our attention, that usually he is the quiet voice calling us to grow.
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So true! And the quiet, behind the scenes work is no less important.
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I loved reading this. So well written. Thanks for joining in with #ThatFridayLinky
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Thank you!
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Nature is definitely my favourite place to find the wonder of God. It is all so perfectly designed and so beautiful! #ThatFridayLinky
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Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared.
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I love the metaphor of the garden to the church, that’s one of the most eloquent ways I’ve ever heard the ministry explained. #GlobalBlogging
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There’s nothing like seeing all the little garden miracles taking life and growing before your eyes. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with the #dreamteam.
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Thanks, Annette.
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I’m coming back with the #DreamTeam!
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There’s so much wonder to be found in watching things grow and flourish. Thanks for sharing #TwinklyTuesday
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Yes! Love my garden!
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Thank you for sharing at #ThursdayFavoriteThings. Pinned and shared.
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Nature is amazing X
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Wow! This was really beautiful, especially the last two paragraphs! Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday at Mommynificent.com!
Tina
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I appreciate your encouragement.
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[…] smaller had its challenges. I’ve traded the freedom of a wide-open field for the gift of manage-ability and restraint. Instead of a sunflower choir singing in rows to the […]
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