Walking in the Garden with God
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My prayer garden is a quiet sanctuary…a safe refuge tucked away from the eyes of the rest of the world and surrounded by statues of angels and saints, and adorned with wind-chimes and other garden treasures hidden among the foliage. In recent years it has been chosen by white doves who have honored me by making their nests high up on the flowering wall of jasmine which grows on one side of my little hide-away, and as of a few days ago, a tiny hummingbird has chosen to make its home there as well. A glider in my prayer garden provides a comfy place to sit and read the Bible, or just meditate and pray. It is an ambient place…a place where lovely fragrances, colorful flowers, soft, dappled sunlight, the tinkling of wind-chimes, and God's presence converge to create a magical sanctuary. When tending to my garden, I invite God to join me…and he does. Maybe it is my imagination, but it seems as though whenever I call on him, he always sends a soft, gentle breeze to rock the wind-chimes to let me know he is there. I listen for his voice to whisper spiritual truths in my ear and reveal light where there once was darkness. Sitting on my little green stool as I work, I can only imagine how the apostles must have felt sitting at the feet of Jesus, both humble and eager to learn, knowing that they were learning the ways of God from the Master himself. I remember one day when I was pruning a large potted geranium. Lifting each heavy-laden branch, I saw that there were ugly dead leaves on the underside that needed to be removed. As I began removing the decay, I began to have a glimmer of understanding of the depth of God’s love for us. I began to picture the whole earth as his garden, and we, his beautiful flowers. I could see that in his perfect wisdom, he looks past our surface beauty to see what lies underneath. When he finds sin growing in the fertile soil of our hearts, he knows that unless it is rooted out, spiritual decay will take over, keeping us from maturing and reaching our full potential. Just as I spend time in my sacred garden every day…God spends time with us. We are planted with purpose, then examined daily, pruned, and watered according to our individual needs. While I delight in nurturing and caring for the flowers in my Prayer Garden, so too does God love nurturing and caring for me. Oh, how wonderful it is to be loved and cultivated by him!
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About the Book
Our Walk with the Lord begins when we take our first step in faith by believing that Jesus is who he says he is. Thereafter, day after day, we willingly take up our cross and attempt to follow in his footsteps, finding out all too soon that “The Way” is not easy. Some will not understand our belief in the “invisible God.” They will consider us fools and secretly despise us for claiming to see what they cannot. While they may be blind to his presence, we see God everywhere, and in everything. Ours is a life-long spiritual journey which tests our strength, courage, faith, and convictions. While it may seem that we are walking alone, we are not. The Lord is always with us. Look around my friends…there are other Believers, each walking at their own pace…some far ahead, while others trail behind. Occasionally, someone comes along who falls into step and walks the long road with us. Know that they have been intentionally sent by God to pick us up when we stumble and fall, get lost, or become discouraged. We need their uplifting prayers, encouragement, and testimonies of faith, to remind us never to give up hope. This book is about my walk with The Lord. However, I believe the sentiments expressed are not mine alone, but universal to Christians everywhere. It is my hope that the words God has given me, will also minister to you as you walk your walk.