Beyond Words

As I sit writing this my husband is out in the yard fertilizing our lawns. No big deal, right? Wrong. This is the husband who is not in any way, shape, or form a handy or home improvement kind of guy. For some reason though, this year he’s all about the lawns and has put a lot of love and effort into them. He even went to Home Depot today after mass to get the right lawn food. IYKYK and if so, you know that no day is really a day to find him on the home improvement aisles, least of which the Sunday of a major golf tournament. But there he was. All alone. And he even bought a gorgeous pot of Impatiens for our back patio and says we need more flowers! Someone call the troopers; this ain’t right. (No offense Scottie Scheffler…we are still rooting for you and love you!) Who is this guy and what did he do with my husband?

This is the time of year many of us are tending our gardens, feeding the lawns, and potting those plants. We plant, we water, and we hope. Ironically, today in the church we celebrate Pentecost, during which we commemorate and celebrate the Holy Spirit. Of the many and holy things the Holy Spirit is known for, what are called the Fruits of the Holy Spirit are among the most beloved. In order for fruits to grow, we need to plant them and water them, right? Gardeners plant the seeds much like the seeds of faith are planted in us, specifically those Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control. Then, it’s up to us to water them.

Jesus talks often about seeds, most notably in the parable of the Seed Sower. The Sower spreads the seeds through the ancient practice of scattering seeds, which is the original meaning of our modern-day term “broadcasting.” In the famous parable, the Sower sows on a path, rocky ground, among thorns, and rich soil. On the path, the seeds never plant and are taken away by the evil one. Those sown on rocky ground lack roots so they only last a short time but never fully grow. The ones sown among thorns are choked and bear no fruit but those sown on rich soil are firmly planted and successfully grow. The parable is used to illustrate that Jesus is the seed and wants to take root in us. Is your garden one full of rich soil for those seeds of faith and the Word to grow or are they choked up and live only temporarily?

Gardens also need water. Pardon the pun, but scripture is flooded with water. Noah and his ark. The parting of the Red Sea. Jesus walking on water and turning water into wine. In the faith, when we think of water we also think of baptism, which without, our seeds of faith will not and cannot grow. Water drenches us, helps us grow, is necessary for life, floods us with strength, nourishes us, and cleanses us. Water your garden and your seeds and the good ones are sure to grow.

Unfortunately, there are weeds…in gardens and in life. Gardeners take time to pull weeds and take steps to prevent them and we need to do the same in life. The weeds in life are things that tempt us in all the wrong ways, lead us astray, have us believe lies as truths, and basically choke out what is healthy and right. Make sure you are pulling the weeds in your life.

In the end, gardens are not made up of just one plant, but of many. Our gardens of life also need many watering us with love and support. I don’t know about you, but those Fruits of the Spirit are things I want growing in my garden and I plan to keep watering them and sowing them in rich soil.

Lastly, not to worry sports fans: hubby’s yard work is completed and he is firmly planted (again, no pun intended!) in his big chair watching the big boys battle it out for this year’s PGA Championship. Those fairways and greens are looking pretty plush. They must have been planted in rich soil and have loving gardeners watering them and tending to them.

On that note, here’s a little Garden of Daily Living:

• Plant three rows of peas: peace of mind, peace of heart, and peace of soul.
• Plant four rows of lettuce: lettuce be faithful, lettuce be kind, lettuce be patient, and lettuce love one another.
• Plant five rows of squash: squash gossip, squash indifference, squash grumbling, squash envy, and squash selfishness.
• Plant six rows of thyme: time for family, time for friends, time for quiet, time for exercise, thyme for giving, and time for prayer.
• No garden is without turnips so turnip for work, turnip for school, turnip for church, turnip for service, and turnip for each other.
• Water gardens freely with patience and cultivate them with love. Remember: you reap what you sow.