THIS LAND, THIS GARDEN

Right now my wife and I are in the process of taking the property we inherited from my Step Father and building a home upon the lot. His house was unfortunately over sixty years old and in such poor shape that the only merciful thing we could do with it is to have the old place demolished and replaced with something else.

This has been a very challenging experience for us and it has required a lot of faith and patience to leave so many things in the Lord’s hands. But the wonderful part is that in a few weeks it should be completed.

My thoughts on this change in our life are admittedly mixed. We are very grateful to the Lord that he worked this miracle for us since we have never owned a home before. But we are sad too that my Step Father is no longer apart of our lives. Although our relationship after years of distance only became close the last couple of years of his life, it made the absence more felt when he did pass away. Knowing he went home to be with the Lord was a comfort in part though.

I guess the one part that is above all difficult to embrace is the idea of once again living in the neighborhood. It isn’t a bad place, but in so many ways it isn’t what was my idea of the kind of location where I expected to live either. Naturally I am not complaining. I would hardly want to dishonor the Lord by being ungrateful for his blessing.

And in that sense I am reminded in part of what it must have been like for Abraham when God told him that the area of Palestine where he was going to walk would belong to his descendants. At the moment, he had just separated from his nephew Lot and predictably Lot chose the most obviously fertile part for himself.

Even though I won’t pretend to claim to be anything as great a Abraham, I just can’t help wondering if in part he look out over that arid wilderness and didn’t have at least a passing reason to sigh. On the human level I know that is how I would feel. Sort of like, ‘ah gee Lord, I don’t want to complain here, but um this isn’t exactly the garden I had sort of in mind.”

I know the scriptures don’t tell us that is what Abraham was thinking. And I’m not suggesting it is. I’m just putting my own feelings as a human on the situation and wondering if he might not have felt that way in part.

But the good news is that Abraham was faithful and did as God had asked. His descendants did inherit the land that he walked just as God had promised. They may have had trouble over the years keeping title, but that isn’t God’s fault.

The one thing though above all that comes to mind in that situation is that how the land looks is in part is a matter of one’s heart and attitude. To that degree I am reminded of Psalm 84:6 where it mentions about those who pass through the valley of Baca (weeping or tears) and make it a well. Which to me in part means they by faith are able to see the garden or possibilities that God can provide where others might see them.

And so for me, I will try to see the garden of God’s blessing where I might have memories that remind me of when it was something else. I will savor the flowers by the power of his Holy Spirit. That will be enough and I hope you are able to find your garden in the valleys where he leads you too.