While being here in Mokhotlong, Lesotho, we have helped with many different ministries, and so it shouldn’t have surprised me when I was asked what my favorite ministry opportunity was this month. However, it did—and when I stopped to think about it, I realized my favorite ministry was probably the one that most people don’t even consider “real ministry”.
I mean after all we aren’t evangelizing, we aren’t preaching, and heck we aren’t even around other people other than ourselves and our host, Mablessing (who is one of the sweetest ladies I have ever had the privilege of meeting).
Yet, when asked what my favorite ministry opportunity was, I said gardening.
That was my gut instinct—I knew it was my favorite, but then I was asked why.
And I had to think about that some more—I knew why, but I was unsure how to articulate it into words.
But here it is:
Although I have loved everything we have done this month; gardening, albeit unconventional, has been my favorite.
Why?
Because I find peace while gardening.
Because I feel closest to God while gardening.
Because I feel a part of something bigger while gardening.
Because we are called to take care of the physical needs of God’s people, as well as their spiritual needs.
Because I know how sustainable gardens are and how a garden is a wonderful symbol of God and His provision for us.
God also gave me a wonderful parallel example of our lives, as well as our spiritual walk to gardens and gardening in and of itself.
You see, we are the garden. And when we press into God’s word and Him in general we produce plants and good vegetation; however, when we neglect spending time tending the garden weeds form. Yet, whenever time and focus is put back into the garden, and thus God and His word, the weeds are tended and the garden—i.e. ourselves—flourish.
The wonderful thing is that even if we neglect the garden for a long time, God always gives us grace and is there to help us tend the garden when we are willing to humble ourselves and ask Him for help.
God’s garden is everlasting and will never die out. Sure it may grow weeds at times if we let it—it may even become overgrown with weeds; but God is the head gardener just waiting for us to call Him and to ask for help.
My feet after the first day of gardening—the time that I felt God’s presence and gentle care the most while being here.
One of my gardening teams for the month.
