Gardening, and praying — let us be with God
The early spring storms have now slowed, giving way to the calmer days of June. The garden flowers were gorgeous this year, with peonies and roses spilling their petals along my garden paths. The frantic pace of early spring chores has slowed for now, and there is time to sit briefly under the trellis and contemplate the results. Reminiscing recently, I thought about one of my favorite garden writers, the late Henry Mitchell from Northern Virginia. In his book, “One Man’s Garden,” he said that it is not important for a garden to be beautiful in everyone’s eyes, but it is “extremely important for the gardener to think it is a fair substitute for Eden,” a small slice of heaven in your own backyard. After all, life began in a garden, so to speak. A garden never ceases to amaze; both good and bad elements are present, the yin and the yang of life.
In many ways, gardening is both spiritual solitude and communion with God. Gardeners do some of their best praying while gardening. It’s a regular conversation with the creator, as in “Lord, why did you create voles?” Surprise and delight merge when a long-forgotten plant re-emerges and blooms, as did my bluebells this spring. In a recent article, “The Science of Prayer,” Elizabeth Bernstein explored the health benefits of prayer in the current stressful atmosphere associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Prayer and meditation, when practiced faithfully, have positive effects on
Senior Living both mental and physical health. I find it impossible to meditate in the garden, since I seldom sit, but I do work and talk to God at the same time. We even include Harry in the conversation, if he is not chasing the elusive rabbit. Prayer sustained me, and many others that I encountered at Duke Medical Center, when I spent months there with my late husband. The staff, the doctors and the families all used the power of prayer to support, to heal, and to comfort in times of deep emotional distress. One prayer that I turned to then, and that I still use, was written long ago by St. Francis de Sales, a French priest:
“Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations and say continually: ‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart has trusted in Him and I am helped. He is not only with me but in me and I in Him.’ ”
This prayer, and the well-known “Serenity Prayer,” can be used to strengthen one’s resolve, and calm one’s fears. The message of accepting what you cannot change, and the courage to change the things you can, coupled with the wisdom to know the difference, can bring a deep spiritual comfort. As St. Paul said, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Strong words help alleviate the fears that accompany stress, whatever the cause of the fears.
All gardens are full of good and bad, light and darkness. There is death in the garden, just as there is in life. Storms collapse trellises and trees; Japanese beetles invade the beans
In many ways, gardening is both spiritual solitude and communion with God. Gardeners do some of their best praying while gardening.
and the roses; voles destroy tender roots in the darkness. They are part and parcel of the garden, yet God prevails in the garden; fruit ripens and flowers bloom in their appointed season. Praying and gardening are very similar; they are ways to have a conversation with God, and to feel the power of life in the darkness of the earth. The gardener must dig deep in the soil, encounter rocks and hard places where nothing can grow, yet the gardener still perseveres. Yes, praying is gardening for the soul, life altering and life sustaining at the same time.
Susan Miller is a retired high school English teacher. Originally from Florida, she now lives in Williamsburg. She can be reached at susanmiller37@cox.net.