I spent a lovely hour gardening in my tiny apartment patio garden this morning. I love digging my hands into the new soil and gently crumbling it over my herbs, vegetable plants, and flowers. I like to think that the energy of my love and passion for what I'm doing is transmitted to the plants. In fact, as I'm gently transplanting one herb I speak softly to it, asking it to understand that what I am doing is best for it. When I'm watering the tomato plant, I respectfully ask it to provide nourishing tomatoes for my family and I thank it for the baby ones that have started to develop on its stems.
I know this all may sound like a bunch of nonsense to many people, but it's what I do because I love the practice of gardening. I think my plants love it, too, and because they are open to my nurturing, I believe they will flourish with my love. "All things grow with love"~~I'd like to add: ..."if they are open to receiving that love." Let me explain.
We have a close family member in the intensive care unit. This person has been dealing with a terminal illness for the past 14 months. His tired body has now developed pneumonia; it's hard to know if the patient will recover in this world or the next. One of our family members, the patient's spouse, is having a very difficult time with the situation. We each have tried to support and love this person, but always we are met with hostility. I was in the hospital room when the patient said "I love you" to the spouse. The spouse rejected those words. All of a sudden, I realized that the patient's spouse was not open to receiving love, from us, the patient, or probably even God. How can "all things grow with love" if their hearts are not open to receiving that love. That spiritual "aha" was a real eye-opener for me to examine my own heart: am I open to receiving love... from my neighbor as well as from God?
One of my flowers, a beautiful red geranium, is planted in a decorative pot that has the words "All things grow with love" on its side. That's what made me think of my experience in the hospital yesterday when I was gardening this morning. This family member of ours can't grow--nor can any of us grow--with love if not open to God's love.
Definitely food for thought and heart and soul on this lovely gardening morning.
Peace and Serenity,
Rev. Bob
