My husband and I began planting a garden about a year ago when we moved into our home. I’m not exaggerating when I say we’ve cultivated at least 100 plants of various shapes and sizes, including trees, bushes, perennial and annual flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruit. What started out bare, sparse, and tidy has grown to be a full, lush, and wild garden. Caring for it has become one of my favorite activities.
I’ve learned much about the plants over the past year. I know which ones prefer more sunlight and water and the type of soil that best suits their needs. I watch them closely, and I often remark, “that one is surviving, but it’s not thriving. Then I will take the necessary steps to see that it thrives. Sometimes that means adding more water or fertilizer, other times, I must move the plant to a new area. It’s incredible to observe how hardy they are, even when their basic needs have not been met. It’s rewarding to watch them thrive once they have been properly cared for.
Like much of the world, the past week, we have been experiencing intense heat and little rain. Other years I probably stayed indoors, barely noticing the effects on wildlife. This year, however, I have been working hard to do whatever I can to keep the plants alive. I’ve noticed how those with deeper roots seem more equipped to handle extreme weather conditions while the others require constant care. Each evening, my husband and I spend hours watering those plants that have not yet developed deep roots. Many have died, and more are dying. Those with deep roots are managing just fine.
I’ve often said that I believe everything we need to know about life can be learned in the garden. Today I am reminded of the importance of roots. When the conditions of life are extreme, and we feel that we cannot handle the scorching heat of our circumstances, the plants teach us that we can thrive, even in harsh conditions if the roots of our faith run deep. We must be attentive to the garden that blooms in our hearts and see that our basic spiritual needs are met daily.
Even when the Earth’s resources are sparse, there is always plenty of water (John 4:14), light (John 8:12), and air (Job 33:4) to nourish the roots of our faith and support us in extreme conditions. Like the plants with deep roots, our spirits will likewise thrive. “They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit (Jeremiah 17:8).
Click HERE up to receive Nina’s reflections via email.
Read more reflections in When on Earth: Discovering Christian Spirituality in the Daily Happenings of Ordinary Life.
More videos available on Nina’s YouTube channel. Visit and subscribe HERE.