Gardens of Endless Water

It's truly amazing what one hears when they only take the time to slow down and listen. Why does it seem the older we get, the harder it is to slow down? I promised myself at the beginning of this school year that I would take time to slow down and enjoy my faith more. A good intention promise, I must say, but not one I was able to keep to myself. Like any other college student, or any other young adult for that matter, my scheduled filled up quickly and the days began flying by. Before I knew it finals week had arrived and I found myself tying loose ends up and ending another semester. As any good Norwegian would say: ufta!
It was a busy Wednesday in October when I found myself running into First Lutheran Church. I was running late, and soon had to begin rehearsal for my middle school tone chimes choir. Once inside the music room I grabbed a music book, and flew into the church office to have Jo, the church secretary, make copies for me. While waiting I noticed a pile of books sitting on the pew inside the door. I asked about them and Jo invited me to take as many of them as I wanted. Anyone who knows me knows I never pass up free books, so I took the top 5 books without looking and later threw them in my car. Needless to say, the semester didn't slow down from there, and before I could turn around it was the beginning of December. If there is one thing I have learned over 20 years on this earth it is that God speaks no matter how busy you are. One night, early this month, as I pulled into my parking lot, parked my car, and went to retrieve my backpack from the back seat, a strong desire came over me to grab this green bible that I had dumped there almost 2 months ago. There was nothing special about this random New Revised Standard Version bible resembling one you would find in a hotel bedroom. Feeling too tired, however, to argue with God I grabbed it and shoved it in my backpack, not pulling it out again until several hours later while I was crawling into bed. Once snuggled under the covers, a book mark sticking out from the top caught my eye and my fingers drew me to the page where one verse was highlighted in red. It was Isaiah 58:11 - "The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.” To say I sat there in awe for 10 minutes would be an understatement and suddenly it all hit me at once. I was parched. I was being pulled in this direction and the next; I was tired and running out of energy. I was exhausted and neglecting the word, prayer, and at times the Lord all together. My bones were hurting.
Do you ever feel like your garden, your life, is withering before your eyes? Do you ever feel like you put so much energy into the world that by the end of the day you have no energy to put towards your faith? We live, brothers and sisters, in a fast paced society where slowing down is rarely an option. We run at full speed from the moment our feet hit in floor in the morning until our heads hit the pillow at night without taking time to stop and nurture our garden, our life. I am guilty of denying my garden the good soil of the Holy Scriptures, the seeds of prayer, and the living water from heaven. As I paged through the contents of this bible I noticed that Isaiah 58:11 was the only verse highlighted. No other markings or bookmarks appeared within its pages. Who ever the previous owner of this bible may have been, they knew what it took to bring nutrients into their life, and their ministry in this world was encouraging others to care for their gardens. There was a challenge issued to me the night I opened this green, random, every day bible. The challenge to live my life as an endlessly abundant and watered garden; as a disciple for Jesus Christ. A challenge to slow down every day and enjoy the beauty around me - to give thanks and adoration to our Father in heaven. Will you heed this call with me? Will you pull out your garden plows, and till up the soil in your life? In this season of joy and expectation, join me as we provide our gardens, our lives, with the nutrients, the riches, that can only be found in Christ Jesus.