Tending the Garden

Have you ever tried growing a garden?  I've tried once.  It didn't end well.  For starters I picked a place where the soil wasn't very deep.  It was right below my window - a place where flowers would looks absolutely beautiful!  But it was also a place where the rain wouldn't reach because it was protected from the overhang of the house, and the sprinklers didn't reach it either.  I think I saw a few sprouts before the seeds withered up and died.

No flowers for my window. 

It wasn't because the seeds weren't good, but simply because I didn't know (or rather, didn't act on the knowledge of planting I did know) how to care and tend for the seeds until the flowers bloomed.  There is a lot of things required to upkeep a garden, from the small flowers that you grow in a pot to the acres and acres of vegetables that are grown every year. 

The soil needs to be tilled, the weeds need to be kept at bay, the ground needs to be watered.  The soil needs the right nutrients to sustain the plants, the seeds need to be planted at just the right depth, the bugs that would destroy the plants need to be kept at bay.  I'm not much of a planter, but I'm sure that these are just the beginning of all of the work that needs to be considered when taking care of a garden.  These are not just one-time things that you do and then forget about; they're the daily cares and needs of a garden that needs time and attention to be fruitful.

What every garden also needs to be healthy is balance.  You can't focus all of your attention on watering it - it will be come waterlogged and the weeds will be enormous!  Similarly you can't spend all of your time planting seeds, you have to remember to tend the plants that you already have growing or you'll find them eaten away by the local wildlife. To maintain a garden you have to balance you time and attention to each of the areas of need. 

Sometimes you'll have an infestation of weeds that need an hour extra to take care of, other times you'll find that the sun is hotter than normal and is cooking the ground so some extra water will be called for.  In these cases, it's okay to spend a little bit more time and effort in one area than a different one because that is what is needed.  It just needs to be done in wisdom and prudence so your attention isn't drawn away from tending to the other areas of the garden.

There are several parables in the scriptures about sowers and gardens and even about seeds that talk about the work that needs to be done to produce a fruitful garden.  In these parables the seed is compared to the word of God, the fruit is the blessings that come from it, and the work applied...is, well, work. 

In our own lives we have many things that we need to cultivate and tend to be most profitable.  We have relationships with friends and family, interest in sports and teams, skills to improve, things to learn, places to go.  There is so much to do and see and experience!  Through the good and the bad, there is much to do! 

Yet these things must also be done in prudence.  There are your physical needs that need to be balanced, like eating more fruits and vegetables than sugar and fat (but the BACON!!).  There are relationships that need to remain balanced, like spending time with one group of friends or finding ways to serve and befriend new people.  Even spiritual needs need balance, you need to pray and read your scriptures, but if that's all you do then what will your life become?

To properly care for your life, there are things that must be done daily - you can't do them once and get away with never doing it again.  Like eating, we can't just say one day "I'm done!  I've just finished 5 Big Macs and I've decided that I'll never eat again!"  Sorry friend, but you'll not only need to eat again, but you're probably going to have to exercise big time too to get rid of all that fat and calories. 

Likewise, we need to pray and study our scriptures ever day to stay spiritually fed.  You won't stay satisfied by reading the Book of Mormon all in one day and decide you never need to read it again.  It just won't cut it.  Like the garden needs to be watered daily, we need to take care of our spiritual needs every day.

Sometimes there are pieces of our lives that need more attention than others.  Like when a friend gets offended, we may need to spend extra time and effort to mend the broken bond.  Or when you go have found that your understanding of spiritual truths is lacking, you may need to spend an extra hour studying the scriptures.  These extra efforts are good - and necessary - just as long as you don't get hyper focused and forget the other aspects of your life that need your attention.

Tending a garden and living life to its fullest is a challenge.  There are so many areas that need to be watched over that it can often seem overwhelming.  Luckily, we don't have to tackle these things on our own.  We're not the only gardener sweating under the boiling sun.  We have Christ on our side to teach us, lead us, and provide an example of how to watch over the garden.

 

We also have friends and neighbors who can provide support and further understanding.  Just as how one gardener shares knowledge of how to get rid of ladybugs without damaging the plants with another gardener, there are people in our lives who understand how to get out of debt and can share that knowledge with others.  Combined with the all-knowing, all-powerful Christ, we can make the most out of the lives we have been asked to lead.

Keep tending your garden.  Find those places that need attention and give them your energy.  Remember to keep things in balance and to do the daily little things that keep your life in shape.  Help others in their lives.  Above all, look to Christ for the guidance that you need.  He will give it, and you will receive blessings beyond compare because of it.