Many of the things I have done so far in my garden – the fencing, the weed cloth, the tomato cages – improve my garden but aren’t truly essential to the plants. Water is essential. Without water, the plants will perish.

Gardens can get water naturally through rain, automatically with a water timer and a stationary hose, or by hand with a hose and spray nozzle. But the plants have to have water.

Many of the things I do as a Christian improve my relationship with God, but aren’t essential. Prayer is essential. Without prayer, without conversation with God, the relationship will perish.

In the spring, in Tennessee, I don’t need to worry about watering my garden much; it rains a lot. Nature (God) provides the water with no effort on my part. Sometimes in my life, prayer arises with no effort or thought on my part. Prayer can be a natural outpouring of gratitude, awe, need, or concern. I think, ideally, this is the way it should be. I think, in the kingdom of God, this is how it is.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. I Thessalonians 5:16-18

But we’re not there yet. In my world, I need to water my plants. I need to make a plan for watering my garden, and I need to make a plan for prayer.

After Nick’s cancer diagnosis, we went to the ocean several times a year, often for a week or two. Some of these trips occurred as the garden was growing, so we needed an automated watering system. He buried a pipeline to the spigot, attached it to a soaker hose spread throughout the garden, and installed a water timer. When we were gone, the timer would turn on the water every evening and the garden would get water. Many times our prayers lives are similar; there is an automatic nature to them. We pray at meals, before we go to bed, at Sunday Worship, before and after Bible studies and church meetings. And as long as the water is flowing, and the prayer is sincere, this is a wonderful way to water your garden.

But if my schedule is flexible and I will be in town, I prefer to water by hand. There’s something about standing face to face with plants, gauging how much water each plant needs, observing the fresh growth and the weeds. It’s more personal somehow, more intimate. When and how much I water may change based on the day’s circumstances. I can wash off the bird droppings and the dust with a light mist.

And if I have not over-scheduled myself, and my mind is not elsewhere, this is how I like to pray. Just set aside a time during the day to stand (sit or kneel) face to face with God, gauging my needs and His desires, observing my fresh growth and my weeds. It’s more personal somehow, more intimate. When and for what I pray may change based on the day’s circumstances. I can ask for and receive forgiveness, gently given by one who knows exactly what I need.

The important thing is to pray, to water my garden. The manner, the situation, the impetus, none of that is as important as the actual heartfelt act of prayer.

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2

Even the words don’t matter.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8:26

Keep the water flowing dear friends; keep praying.

Betsy

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He is able to do far more than we can even imagine. Ephesians 3:20

I gently squeeze the container around the starter plant and free the plant carefully from its constraints. In my hand, covered in dirt and grime, and looking like something from a horror flick, the thin roots wrap around each other and mass together.

These roots freed from the container seem fragile. They are precious. What happens with these roots will determine what happens to the plant. I know roots can be strong and immense. Roots can reach across the yard, wrap around underground pipes, break up sidewalks and streets. But these roots, new as they are, are delicate.

I realize that this is the only time I get to see my plant’s roots. They are not pretty. But they are vital; critical to the production of fruit. Without a healthy root system, the plant won’t grow and bear fruit. Appearances can be so deceiving. Without the “ugly” root, the “pretty” flower never blooms. The squiggly, swarming white roots remind me of intestines.

The members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we cloth with greater honor. I Corinthians 12:22

Once I have carefully planted my starter plants, there is a period of unseen activity. Nothing changes on the surface, but the roots are spreading out, reaching deeper, finding water and nutrients, establishing themselves. Have you ever heard something very inspiring that seemed to rumble around in your head for weeks on end before it ever produced any visible change in your life? That is the word taking root.

Letting God’s Word take root is an important step to bearing the fruit He wants. I need to be like Mary and “ponder these things in my heart.” (Luke 2:19). Too often, I jump to show off the new thing I have learned, without allowing it the time to develop a proper root system.

I tried for a while to “give to all you ask of you.” (Matt 5:43) Exhausting and impractical. My dollar bills here and there accomplished little and put me on every call list in the nation. Once I allowed to the verse to grow roots, it lead to a giving based more on the needs of those God had put before me, and less on my own interests. My giving became less corporate and more personal. I believe God has used the fruit produced to answer some very specific needs. I just needed to give it time to grow roots.

The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while and in a time of testing fall away. Luke 8:13

And just like the roots themselves, sometimes the root growing process is not glamorous. There can be some ugly battles underground between those roots and the dirt that was there. I need to do my part to help the roots grow. Give them time, water them regularly, protect them from predators. For me, that means spending time quietly thinking about what is growing, what it may look like in maturity, what hidden hard places are limiting its growth. Perhaps even offering an “ugly cry,” or two to water it.

There may even be a period of “root shock,” when the plant seems to regress once you’ve transplanted it. The new life, the new idea, is taking a little time to adjust to its new environment. I need patience – with the plant, with nature, with myself, with others. Because once the root establishes itself, the plant starts growing and wonderful fruit results.

As you therefore have received Jesus Christ as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith. Colossians 2:6

You have planted a new garden. Let the starter plants take root. Victory is on the horizon.

Betsy

Thank you for reading The Victory Garden. Thank you for subscribing to, following, and sharing these posts. I could not do this without your encouragement and support.

In Him all things were created. John 1:3

As I turn from my spring garden, the sugar snaps, to my summer garden, the tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, I am amazed at how different the gardens are.

My sugar snap garden is all scattered and messy. Despite my efforts to sow the seeds in rows, the plants are helter-skelter around the garden; some growing in clusters; some outliers. There are weeds growing in and among the plants. Some plants are tall; others still hover near the ground. It’s messy. It’s growing, but it’s messy.

My faith looks like this sometimes, scattered and messy, growing helter-skelter, distracted by unwanted thought-weeds.

My summer garden, by comparison, is neat and orderly. I have placed the starter plants in a row, and I see no weeds. It’s pretty. Someone else has grown the plants from seed, so all I need to do is transplant them into my garden. Someone else has brought these plants to this level of maturity and provided them to me free of weeds, neat and orderly.

I am very grateful to those who grew these plants from seed. I appreciate their determination, effort and ability and am happy to compensate them for it. Starter plants make my garden easier.

I am very grateful as well to those Christians who have shared their growth with us, so all I need to do is transplant it into my life. I appreciate their determination, effort and ability and am happy to compensate them for it. Their theology makes my faith journey easier, less messy.

From the bed where it was planted it was transplanted to good soil by abundant waters, so that it might produce branches and bear fruit and become a noble vine. Ezekiel 17:8

I do not have to grow every plant from seed; I do not have to develop every element of my faith on my own. Others have better minds, more insight, more determination to tackle complex issues; I can trust them to develop a theology that is less helter-skelter and less distracted by unwanted thought-weeds.

C. S. Lewis, Charles Stanley, John Stott, N.T. Wright, Lee Strobel, Richard Wurmbrand, Henri Nouwen – what wonderful starter plants they have given me for my Victory Garden! My ministers and teachers use theology taught by St. Augustine, Thomas Merton, Karl Barth, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, CK Chesterton, John Calvin and so many others. What gifts!

So what are you wanting to grow in your garden? Faith under persecution? Richard Wurmbrand. Stillness and calm? Thomas Merton or Henri Nouwen. Discipline? A daily Bible. Rational defense of faith (Apologetics)? Lee Strobel. There are books on prayer, spiritual growth, practical theology, church creeds, biblical interpretation, warfare, grace and love. There are more resources available to you for your Christian growth than there are starter plants at Home Depot.

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the scared writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 3:15

All these resources can be a little overwhelming. But no one expects you to buy and plant everything at Home Depot, and no one expects you to read everything available on Amazon. Hopefully, you don’t expect that of yourself either.

Just know that you don’t have to go it alone. When you are struggling with an issue, use the resources available. Find out what the brilliant thinkers over the past 2000 years have had to say on the subject. Most likely, this thought you are struggling with is not new. Take advantage of the already developed thoughts that are out there. It will save you a lot of time and messiness.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. I appreciate your sharing your time with me. I hope you’ll join me next week when the subject is roots!

Betsy

 I am the Alpha and the Omega. Revelation 1:8