I spend a lot of time outside gardening. If gardening were a journey, it would be a slow and steady one. In times of slow growth, I pull weeds, trim shrubs and plan for seeding and planting. When the season changes and plants start serious growth, it feels busier but it isn’t frantic. I just cannot prune a rose bush or plant a seed in a hurry: every task in gardening feels measured and contemplative. So, gardening is refreshing when other parts of my life are full of worries, busyness, and tasks I might rather shirk.
When I travel, I seek out gardens both public and private. Public gardens are easy to view as they announce themselves on the internet and elsewhere. I enjoy just as much peeking at private gardens: the ones in front yards that one can walk by and admire, and the ones I can glimpse through a fence or a hedge.
I like to think God created me to be most comfortable in a garden. At any rate that is where I most often walk with God.
A gratitude prayer: Thank you for green growing plants, tiny insect creatures, birdsong and rest. Amen
Pat Hitchcock