Sabbath Rest: a Mother's Garden

Last weekend was Mother's Day, but this week was when it occurred to me that anyone who gardens--and certainly during the Seedling Season--mothers a little patch of earth. The thought brought to mind a poem written by a friend of mine, a pastor's wife who shared this with the members of her church family in the form of a book mark.

A Mother's Garden

A tired young mother knelt down by her bed

at the end of a stress-filled day,

"Dear God, I need help and direction from You

to bring up my children Your way."

She took her dusty Bible down from the shelf

and wearily started to read,

but she drifted to sleep and started to dream

of a garden ready for seed.


She heard a sweet voice speaking loud and clear:

"My grace is sufficient for you.

Just listen to the words I am saying;

whatever I say to you-do.

The heart of each child is a garden,

and it needs to be tended with care.

I will give you all that your require

if you water your own heart with prayer.

Warm nurture and firm admonition

are both needed to balance the soil.

Come often to me for instruction and strength

as in their hearts' garden your toil."


The next day she started preparing the ground:

she planned it with tender care.

She wanted only the finest of plants

to grow in her garden there.

She quickly planted some seeds of kindness

next to her rows of sweet peace;

then gentleness and goodness side by side,

she planted down on her knees.

Slow-growing patience, self-control and joy

were all dropped in one by one.

When she added true faithfulness and love,

she thought all her hard work was done.


Suddenly weeds appeared in the garden,

just when her seeds began to sprout,

so she carefully wielded the tool of faith

and dug the harmful weeds out.

Then she nurtured and watered the seedlings

with the thirst-quenching Word of God.

She staked her young plants with hand-woven cords

as they struggled to break through the sod.

Just as her Lord had promised that night,

she never was left all alone;

He showed her the way and He guided her hand

as each tiny seed was sown.




At last it was time for the harvest;

the mother had given her best.

The hearts of her children were fruitful for God,

and she was eternally blessed.
Written by Kim Smith, Genesis Church, 2008

Whether you're mothering children in your home, a dear animal in your care, or even a larger world through the bounty of your garden: may you, too, be eternally blessed in the fruits of your labor!






Happy Mothers' Day!