[A
Monday/Wednesday/Friday Feature of the First Road Blog]
After
three years Judy and I are beginning to feel nearer to our dream of entering our
back yard and feeling surrounded by lush, living walls. In time we look forward to walking amid
eye-refreshing islands of welcoming shrubs. You might call it our secret
garden. We are grateful to our landlord for the freedom to create a breathing
place even though later owners may dig it up. They will not understand it was meaningful to us, much like
the old hymn, In the Garden is
meaningful.
The
Puritan preachers as well as later men of God such as Charles Spurgeon were especially
fond of the Song of Solomon and its gardens. In my opinion, that short
cantata could well be called, “The Garden Song.” They saw the analogy between
Christ and his Church spoken of in Ephesians 5:25-33 and Revelation 21:9. And
they also understood that what was true of the Church must be true of the individual members.
I
wonder if Mary and the others, at the home of Lazarus, were with Jesus in a garden when she roused the
ire of her sister for not joining her in her meal time preparation agitation.
Whether they were or not, Jesus clearly indicated she had chosen the “better part”
by being with him for those moments.
Yes, I do spend times alone with Jesus. No, I'm not always the best of company; but I cherish the times when we do walk, and we
do talk via the varied workings of his Spirit on my heart and mind, and he does
reassure me through the Scripture that I am his own. Let me tell you, those times of reassurance have been more valuable than a full calendar of preaching engagements.
Unfortunately,
the third stanza of In the Garden
leaves a little to be desired. For my part, I have learned to sing:
I’d stay in the garden with him,
Though outside a dark world will perish.
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