Reader Request: Zoe's (not-so-secret) Garden (Part II)

Dear Erin,


I had so much I wanted to share with you about my garden, I've had to spread out my pictures and thoughts a bit. So here's part II of my garden report . . .


Part II: This is not my home

As we start to get some handle on where we expect real plants to spring up and where we have space to cultivate our own creations, Sofia and I have been hard at work weeding, preparing soil, planting seeds, and watering. 

Sofia pulling out dead stalks to make way for new growth
Child labor may be cheap, but it's not the most effective ;)

our most exciting new investment for the garden: 

our compost! 

naming suggestions welcome. 

there's so much work to do, but we have to take photo-breaks every now and then ;)

Our biggest project remains clearing out the wild overgrowth in the back of the yard. It is like a miniature forest of dead stalks, litered with so much trash that has blown into it over years. I've found over 15 balls for Sofia to play with. One tennis ball had been buried in there for so long that the fuzz had completely decomposed. It was entirely bald. 

It is completely understandable that what was once a beautiful and well loved garden plot would turn into such chaos when the property started getting rented out. I know at least the last family that lived here was double income with multiple kids, so I doubt they had any time to worry about the land they were going to leave within the year. I do not at all fault them for thinking, "this is not my home." 

That phrase is actually the main punchline of a chorus I've heard on the radio too much lately. It embodies this idea that Christians don't belong here, they're just waiting to get to Heaven. But as you and I have discussed, I recently read Surprised by Hope, by N.T. Wright, and it's really helped me view that eschatology (which you, divinity student that you are, would explain to me as "the theological study of the end of things") differently. You've read it, [or Lobsters, if you haven't, I hope you'll consider reading it!] so you know, but the point that's relevant here is about how Jesus was actually telling us that the Kingdom of God, Heaven, was present when He was here, and as His people, we are presently bringing Heaven into the world (this article actually articulated the point in a way that was helpful, and shorter than reading all of Surprised by Hope, if you're interested - or confused). When we are doing God's work, we bring about the Kingdom, see Jesus speaking in Luke 10:8-9

When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, heal anyone who is sick, and tell them, 'God's kingdom is right on your doorstep!

[taken from the Message]

Wright explains that not only is Heaven here and now, when we're doing God's work, but also, when Jesus returns, it will be to transform this earth, and these bodies we live in to be like His resurrected body was here. (Lobsters, this was really heavy for me to take in, so don't just trust my notes, go through the book, it's worth it.) So what that means is, where I used to feel like, "this (earth) is not my home," and therefore disregarded the health of my physical body, or the way I treated the environment around me, I now have good theological reasons for investing in the eternal home that is here before me, that will be fully restored one day. 

I've decided to start living this out in the tiny step of investing in this home I'm renting. It is worth taking care of. So I'm pulling out the weeds and debris, I'm planting my own seeds, and I'm tackling that overgrowth little bits at a time, but with persistence. 

And to my surprise, our labor is already paying off. After a good rain, we went outside and discovered little signs of life breaking forth:

if i manage not to kill this, 
it will hopefully give us some squash

for Sofia, who LOVES green beans.

But I recently got the best encouragement I could have imagined for my gardening. Because the college owns the house, they also have technical responsibility for the yard. When a guy came through mowing the lawn, I gave him a friendly wave. He stopped his mower, and excitedly offered to give me a tour of my yard. I'd certainly found some treasures on my own, but he's apparently tended it for years and knew so much more than I would have ever figured out independently. Turns out, our house is the only fruit-bearing faculty home. We have plum, apple, and peach trees! And as we walked back toward the overgrowth, he told me it used to be this fabulous miniature strawberry field. We sifted through some of the weeds and sure enough, found these big beautiful green leaves of strawberry plants. He said these were the leaves of plants that had been well cultivated by their original gardeners. I'm so excited to watch them grow!

As we walked around back there, I was embarrassed by my giant piles I'd been raking together. I've been nervous that I was creating more work for him and his co-workers, creating obstacles for them to mow around or potentially making them feel obligated to clean up my mess [I am able to get the process started, but often get interrupted from seeing it through, due to the needs of a certain little person you know]. But you know what he said? He said, "oh no! It is just so great that someone finally cares enough to take care of these plants! I'm totally happy to help clear away your piles, I'll be back in a day or two with my truck!" He was so eager and delighted and I was so encouraged and empowered. And sure enough, a few days later, the piles were neatly cleaned up, despite constant rain.

Don't you think, what Jesus was saying in Luke was sort of the same thing? Whenever we love and care for one another and this creation He's made for us and allowed us to live in, that whenever we obey Him and do as the Father instructs, He is so delighted that we are in essence owning this as our home, because we are bringing forth and making visible the Kingdom of God here and now in part, what will one day reign in full. Even if we usually make a mess of things in our efforts, He's the knowledgeable gardener*, so happy to work alongside us and bring forth the good fruit. Maybe he's even happy when Sofia and I are out in our little garden together, loving each other while we work. It certainly helps this feel more like home!


I hope you enjoy these photos and thoughts. Thank you for taking a sweet interest in our garden!


Love,
zoe faith

Jeremiah 29:28

Therefore build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.

*See John 20: ¹¹ Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

¹³ They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” ¹⁴ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

¹⁵ He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).