The Garden

                              The Garden

      For two years, I have had a garden in the backyard. When spring came, I had such spring fever, that I turned over the soil, using a spade for a garden, about 40 feet by 30 feet and planted peas, lettuce, spinache, beets, carrots, squash, pumpkin, corn, broccoli, green beans, brussel sprouts, peppers and tomatoes. The first year, despite my hard work, the garden was a dismal failure – the plants grew well and were very green, but there was no fruit at all. I had perhaps enough green beans for myself for one meal and that was all!
      What were the reasons for this? I wasn’t sure if it was the shady location or problems with the soil? (It wasn’t my lack of a green thumb, though, because in another home, I had had a very plentiful garden harvest).
      The second year, as I industriously overturned the soil for the garden with my handy spade, I discovered that I was sinking into the garden! Hastily, I jumped away from a widening hole, that had opened up in my garden! (Was this a dream or fairy tale?) As it turned out, the hole was about 3 feet deep (and not a dream)! Therefore, I took a break from gardening to do some archeological exploration. I discovered interesting artifacts – pottery, old cans, a jar of an unknown liquid, metallic remnants of a machine, old shoe. Carefully, I catalogued the items and even photographed them. I still planted the familiar garden, but around this new archeological dig. I contacted the local historian, who expressed great interest in the discovery, but who never once kept an appointment to stop by to inspect the finds.
      Once again, the garden was a big disappointment – very green and prolific, but no fruit. As a slight improvement over the previous year, I had three meals of green beans. I still have not decided whether to garden in the same location or give up and try another garden somewhere else.
      What is the moral of this story? We hope that our lives will show forth much fruit for God, so that He does not need to find another plot, in which to sow His seed. Indeed, the archeological dig in the middle of the garden shows that life is full of the unexpected. Perhaps there is an artifact, awaiting to be found in that hole? Perhaps that find is more valuable that the unfruitful garden?
     Here is a photo of one of the artifacts: