Are you working in your garden?

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Genesis 2:15 NIV

Just like that, the first man was given a job. We all relate to one degree or another with the job we have – or the job we do not have. In some cases, a job is just a transaction. Someone needs something done and you agree to do it. Or we need money, and someone has some they are willing to pay to not do it themselves. Simple. However, some jobs may seem more like a calling. If you work in ministry, for example, we call that position a calling. What if we looked at all jobs as a calling?

When God gave Adam that first job, did God really need Adam to clear the weeds? Probably not. Did He need Adam to water it, fertilize it or watch the produce to make sure it is picked at just the right time? Again, probably not. God gave Adam the job for a reason.

I do not think it is arrogant to say that I have one of the nicest yards you will see. It is beautiful. I like being in it. But it took a lot of work over the past 25 years to get there. I have moved limestone from 20 miles away and placed every piece purposely. Literally every piece was selected to fit. (I was a lot younger then). I have seeded, fertilized, mowed, and planted. I have just plain worked. I like it. For the few people who saw it the day we bought the house, it has completely changed.

I think about a lot of things in the quiet of the yard. I am sitting here right now listening to the water outside and am reminded this is one of the most peaceful places on earth to me. I remember times on my hands and knees dirty and sore. I remember for a good period of time that Korbin would glue himself to me when I was home. I would be on all fours in the dirt and he would just lay on my back until I either finished or got too tired. No talking, just presence.

I have used working in my yard to pray for my family. Mowing past Aly’s window? Say a little prayer. Get close to the walls, claim it in Jesus’ name. It is part of my best quiet time. It dawned on me this week that God gave Adam that first job for the same reason He hired me. He did not need me, but He did want me. I accepted the job as caretaker. While doing that I can hear God’s whisper. Yard work does not happen fast. It takes time and I think the interval from start to end means something. The strain to get a task completed results in something.

If I compare the work in the yard to my job as a caretaker for my family, I start to see details that are mine to monitor. In the yard if I see a weed, I take care of it. In the garden if I see fruit, I monitor it. I wait until it is ready. In hard times I build altars of sacrifice, sort of like they used to do in the Old Testament. It may look like a yard project, but that count up to a ten-year death anniversary, the altar sits right outside my window. I have not counted the days in defeat since. Aly has a tree, Korbin has his and so does Mary – actually she has a pool among others.

Why is any of this relevant? Do we spend enough time looking at our families as ours to grow? If your child has a spot you know will produce negatively, do you work to help them remove it, even if they do not see it. If your marriage is suffering do you add any nutrients to increase its health or its durability? Do we go years without proactive maintenance in our relationships and then wonder why we have so many rough patches? If we sit back and wonder why our families are not how we envisioned them but are unwilling to do the work needed to help, we are missing the point. We accepted the job, are we doing the work?

Put your view aside for a moment, does your family look anything like how God envisioned it?

When was the last time you just did a walk around your family to see how everything is doing? I am not talking about false appearances. I mean the actual roots in your life.

Challenge: Spend some time looking. There is fruit on the vine and roots in the dirt, are you doing your part to make sure the harvest is healthy? If not, who do you think is?

Rick Claiborn