All that matters is the work of the garden, the work our hearts and hands were made for.

The Work of the Garden

Posted on by Michele Morin

There are no minutes in the garden–
Only rows,
A measure not of time, but of task.
In the first garden, Adam was given the task of naming:
Zebra and musk ox;
Cheetah and gerbil.
He punched no clock, but poured out creativity, fulfilling his role.
Eve may have pruned apple trees for optimal fruition, but she wore no floppy sun hat.
There were no obligatory tick checks at day’s end.

In the garden,
without wasteful frenzy, the job gets done.
So when I say,
“I’ll weed for a half hour, and then I’ll come in and start supper,”
what I really mean is,
“Supper might be late tonight.”

And there I will be,
Under a floppy sun hat,
Soaking in bright afternoon rays which generate a heat amounting to just about what the tomato plants ordered.

The beets I replanted after torrential rain are sprouting,
but so are the weeds.

And those five rows of cucumbers…
I’ll hill two of them right now, and then stand in the shade to drink water
and admire the work. 

Is this how time will move and be measured in eternity?
In God’s forever garden?
When arms and legs accomplish what the heart and mind have conceived,
the hands of the clock will 
tick tock
no more.

All that will matter is the work of the garden,
The work our hearts and hands were made for.


With love from the garden,

Michele

 

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Published by Michele Morin

Michele Morin is a Bible teacher, writer, reader, and gardener committed to the truth that women can become confident Christ-followers and students of God's Word. She has been married to an unreasonably patient husband for thirty-plus years, and together they have four sons, four daughters-in-love, and six adorable grandchildren. Michele loves hot tea and well-crafted sentences, poems that stop her in her tracks, and days at the ocean with the whole family. She laments biblical illiteracy and advocates for the prudent use of “little minutes.” She blogs at Living Our Days, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.

69 thoughts on “The Work of the Garden”

  1. Michele,
    Your invitation to Life in the Garden sounds wonderful. Your garden looks awesome by the way!! I don’t have veggies, but I have flowers and it’s so easy to think you’ll go out for a “little while” and before you know it, half a day has blown by. Won’t it be great to just tend to the work God has given us without the performance review or having to punch the time clock? I think our hearts yearn for this simple, uncomplicated lifestyle. Beautiful!
    Blessings,
    Bev xx

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Funny how one weed leads to another…
      Which leads to picking a few tomatoes, and then the pepper plants need hilling…
      But it’s such a great way to spend more time than you planned!

      Like

    1. Oh, that’s a rich observation! And I hear you! The planning and the concept are a long way from the actual WORK of battling weeds and doing something productive with all that grows.

      Like

  13. Gardening is such tiring but restful work. Striving hard to enter His rest… Go Michele go! I no longer can have a garden. But my potted herbs and flowers do bring a certain solace, minus weeds ☺

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You’ve definitely found a great way to scratch your gardening itch! We’re still in “production mode” here, and I’ve already canned 30 quarts of beans, but there may come a day when I scale back…

      Like

      1. Wow. That’s amazing! You’ll have to share with your progeny ☺ Heading to daughter’s wedding and family reunion with all of ours! Leaving my flowers to the elk with great reluctance 🙁

        Like

      3. Thank you. They were in the yard last night smelling the alyssum and deflected only by my presence 🙄 The greedy beasts have distinguishing taste!

        Like

  15. Michele, thank you for linking up to Thankful Thursday. Your garden is lovely! There is nothing quite like time spent tending plants and flowers. I find it very calming for the spirit. I hope to see you back again next Thursday. Have a great weekend!

    Liked by 1 person

  16. I’m no gardener, but I can certainly relate to dinner being late because I’m lost in the intricacies of my callings. In fact, if I lived alone … there is no telling when mealtimes would be.

    But I certainly enjoyed reading about YOUR gardening. And, I love to chat over a glass of tea by your hen house in an Adirondack chair!

    Liked by 1 person

  17. I don’t have a garden perse but I have a mini garden on my deck. I have a bunch of pots and the good news is no weeds! I am still waiting for it to really come in strong. #thatfridaylinky

    Liked by 1 person

  18. I start losing enthusiasm for yard work this time of year–the heat, the repetition of tasks. Thanks for your inspiration to persevere, Michele! (Maybe in heaven we’ll be able to work together. That would definitely make it more fun!)

    Liked by 1 person

  20. I love this!! It’s true, you totally lose track of time in the garden. And you come in tired and maybe hot, but somehow refreshed within just because of the time you spent with the plants, the soil, and the critters. Gardening gives us time to think, to pray, and to meditate on God’s goodness and faithfulness. I hear the weeds in my garden calling me! 😊
    Thanks for sharing this!

    Liked by 1 person

  23. I sometimes miss having a garden. We did in younger years, and some canning. My son and DIL garden in large pots and seems to work fine. They brought some of their veggies. I could give that a try. Love the picture in my head that your post brings of you working, and enjoying your garden time. Love the floppy hat. I have one, but forget to wear it when out in my yard pulling weeds etc. Have a great week.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. What a delicious looking garden Michele! We have a small one, nothing that looks to be the size of yours. Ours is just enough to get a good salad for 2 for dinner each evening. I love that quote, “There are no minutes in the garden–Only rows, A measure not of time, but of task.” And I HATE TICKS!!! LOL But that quote is spot on!

    Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements!

    Liked by 1 person

  28. This is beautiful Michele!! It makes me think about the garden I didn’t get to plant this year because of health issues but that God is also sowing something new in me and that makes me so happy! Thank you for linking up @worthbeyondrubies today!!

    Liked by 1 person

  33. Love this line…“When arms and legs accomplish what the heart and mind have conceived”, how glorious when that happens! Thanks for linking up with us at the #WednesdayAIMLinkParty 42

    Liked by 1 person

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