The month of May is a time for growing. Many of us will be spending some time over the next few weeks tending and improving our gardens and outside spaces. Perhaps clearing away the winter bedding and trying to get on top of the many weeds that have grown, pruning the plants we want to keep and even looking at what spaces we have for new plants to be added. We might also be watching and waiting for the plants, either in our gardens or out in the wider environment, to begin growing and flowering so that as we get closer to summer we can look forward to a wonderful display to enjoy.
Many of us feel close to God when we are in the garden. As we see the wonderous variety of nature all around us, it is easy to see God’s hand at work in it. It reminds us what a loving God we have that he has provided so much for our enjoyment and sustenance. And perhaps too it can make us ashamed too when we think about the way that we have mistreated the world around us.
Why not focus on these verses from the Bible when you next wander round the garden -
“Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation — every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. The land produced vegetation — all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:11-12)
Can we look at nature and see what God saw – that it was truly good! Perhaps that can be our thought for today - to enjoy what we have all around us and to respect it too so that it can be good, both for us and for future generations. With God’s help, may we be mindful of all that nature provides us with and do what we can to be an influence for good here in the world.
When God sees how we have been part of the world may he be able to say that what we did was good.
Catherine Booton