Put up a fence

As I put my first seeds in the ground, it’s as if an alarm sounds, the puck drops, the ball is tossed at center court.  I am in battle. The birds watch me intently from their perches; the bunnies peer longingly from the hedges; the neighbor’s dog strains at her leash; even the grass seems to lean in as if to recover lost territory. They covet the seeds, the young plants, the fertile ground.

No! Stay away!  This is my garden. This is the space I have set aside and you are not welcome here. This is not unkind or selfish; the birds and bunnies have the rest of the yard; the dog can play elsewhere; the grass has plenty of territory. This space is dedicated to nurturing those sugar snap seeds into fruit bearing plants. You need to stay out; I need a fence.

I have over 150 yards of wire fencing, in manageable segments, folded and flattened in my garage. I take what I need into the yard, unfold and re-flatten it by stepping on it, then stretch it between the poles around my seeds. (It’s my own personal work out session – works the legs and the arms!) The fence keeps most two and four legged creatures from invading my garden. I even cover the seeded area with fencing – birds love those seeds!

Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Matthew 21:33

I went to a youth service once where we were asked to leave our cell phones and shoes at the door; the chapel was a space set aside to honor God. Same idea.

Several people I know have permanent fencing around square-shaped gardens, a good solution if you have the space.  Some terrain makes fencing unworkable; the farmers use terracing and edging and repellent plants to protect the space. What fencing looks like varies person to person and changes over time.  What stays the same is the need to protect the space.

Because there are predators out there who want to steal the seeds you plant and chew up whatever you are growing. There are invaders out there who don’t like you having space from which they are excluded.

So when you have set aside a time to meet with God, when you have prepared your heart to receive the seeds He’s planting, protect that space from predators and invaders. Turn off the phone; turn off the TV; train your brain to stay in the moment. Use the tools available – the Bible, a journal, a devotional book, an inspirational book – whatever it takes to give God dedicated space in your life. 

Sometimes that takes saying, “no.” Jesus did.

At daybreak he departed and to a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. But he said to them, “I must proclaim the news of the kingdom of God to other cities.” Luke 4:42-43

Saying “no” is not always selfish or lazy; sometimes it is prioritizing God’s will for my life.  Sometimes saying no is a way to keep the predators and invaders out.

Recently, the image of a stone garden wall had captivated my imagination. Stone walls were the traditional barriers around gardens and homes, towns and temples. They are built of stones carefully placed one upon the other.

If I am a temple of the Holy Spirit, as Paul asserts in I Corinthians 6:19, then I should protect that temple at least as much as I protect my garden. I need to build a stone wall around my soul. Each Bible verse that I memorize and internalize becomes a stone that builds up the wall protecting the Holy Spirit’s residence in my life. Each verse is a stone carefully placed one upon another. That protective stone wall enables the Holy Spirit to produce fruit in my life. And that is a beautiful thing.

I have included scripture at the bottom of each post. These are some of my “stones.” As of today, there is a page available in the side (or bottom) menu called “My garden wall” containing verses which have encouraged, strengthened, calmed and protected me through the years.

Then Satan answered the Lord. “Does Job fear God for nothing?  Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side?  You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.  Job 1:9-10

Are you protecting your garden? Are you keeping the invaders and predators out? Are you building up your garden wall with stones of faith? I encourage you to join me in this effort.

It can be a workout, but it’s worth it.

Betsy

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You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. Deuteronomy 11:18