I’m an awful gardener. Or maybe it’s just a lack of interest; we all have our hobbies, and this particular one isn’t mine. But my wife Kathi? She *loves* gardening. Our long (long!) winter has now finally thawed, making room for quickly greening trees, grass and foliage. As a result, her interest in our little corner of God’s world has been piqued. By all accounts our first Iowan spring has encouraged her green thumb, she’s been chatting up ideas for how best to cultivate this new life growing all around us. It’s been fun to watch.

First she thinned out our bed of irises. Then she noticed a thin patch of grass, then bought, applied and watered grass seeds to fill the space in. After that she encouraged both of us to tackle the backyard planter. That planter was an absolute mess, so we removed dead leaves, pesky dandelions and dense undergrowth, just to see what would happen.

And as a result? Our iris bed looks perkier, the bulb-to-soil ratio now much better aligned for stunning results in the coming months. The grass seeds are starting to pick up, more water will transform the space from parched to lush. And that messy backyard planter? There were several hostas and bleeding heart flowers hiding in there that, now freed of weedy competition, are really starting to take off.

So while I don’t enjoy the tasks of gardening I absolutely appreciate the result of her efforts to get our yard in tip-top shape. What before was either overgrown, or undergrown, or disorganized and dying is now cleaned out, and starting to take shape in some really splendid ways.

The Master Gardener
Fortunately our spiritual lives have a master gardener, ready to get their hands dirty, ready to do all the hard work for our benefit. In John 15:1-6 Jesus refers to himself as the vine and God as the vinegrower. And master gardener God knows what should be in the garden of our lives and what shouldn’t.

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What weeds within need to be removed? God stands waiting, gardening trowel at the ready, prepared to pluck those distractions out.

What branches in you don’t bear fruit? God is here, shears in hand, prepared to prune areas that have long since died.

What barren patches of soil in your soul clamor for more? God brings the seeds of life to plant, and the watering can to grow those seeds into fullness.

This spring and summer as you dive into the messy work of tending to your earthly gardens I ask you to keep an eye on your spiritual garden too. Ask God to show you the areas that need some tending. Ask God to do what God does best, plucking, pruning and planting in just the right places. And then sit back and receive the blessings of new growth, splendid colors, and renewed joy in your life, right alongside Jesus Christ, just as God intends.