[Not recently—See below.¹]
In a season that should be abounding, I could barely find anything that hadn’t been eaten by bugs, or choked out by weeds. The fact is, I’ve been very busy with a new adventure, and it’s been nearly impossible to tend the garden this summer—let alone write much or do other things I used to do.
Be easy on myself, I thought, but today I was feeling the deterioration of the garden in a new way. It felt like a sign of things going on around me, and in me, and of the “war” we are in. Like weeds, there seems to be a constant assailment against the beauty and increase of our Lord and Savior in our heart, in our relationships, and finally (through them) in the world at large.
I noticed something, however. Along the garden edge there was a red raspberry bush laden with the most luscious berries I had ever seen! Red raspberries are my absolute favorite, and it is unusual to see them so late in the season—let alone so huge! Now I always find it interesting when I am suddenly aware of my thoughts. Because right when I picked them I heard myself say, “I don’t deserve these. I should give them to someone else!”
Then immediately in response, “They are for you. Eat and enjoy. It’s My gift.”
I was overcome with a sense of the Lord’s grace. Here was something I didn’t plant that grew on its own and was flourishing. In fact, raspberries bushes have thorns, which I know from the Bible is a picture of death and the shame of sin. But from this thorny wild plant was fruit for me! Free of my having to labor for it. Free from any strings. Free of anything but pure, accepting love being given by my Creator as a gift, to me, who felt at that moment so undeserving.
Take, eat, this is my body, given freely and unreservedly for you.
~Jesus, Matthew 26:26
I planted a garden, and now at the season when the harvest should be overflowing, there is only lackluster or damaged fruit remaining. But what is my hope? That always in God, mercy triumphs over judgment. That always in God, life springs forth from death. And that always, grace is never deserved – it is received.
Please grab hold of His costly and amazing gift of love and forgiveness, and eat of it today. Then give it back out in relationships in the same way that it was given to you. Everything in this world will eventually fail that we, in our own strength, labored for and planted. But the mercy of the Lord Jesus in and through us? It is the only thing that will endure forever.
❀∙❀∙❀∙❀∙❀∙❀∙❀
¹ This repost is an altar stone of remembrance. It was originally written September 6, 2014, just before a long 5 year break from writing about the Song, and a difficult “winter” season, spiritually speaking, that culminated in a deeper time of repentance. Then in the fall of 2019: “Go back and do the first works again,” was a word from God. Like cleaning an old garden bed to make way for the new, I knew I had to first go through all the old posts one by one, (that covered only Chapter 1) and allow the Spirit to retrain me. (by hearing God anew, and adding things as needed) It’s been a good journey that took exactly a year, and is now over. On September 7th I posted the last recap, “Bed of Heaven,” which officially ended the old garden “clean-up.”
So here it is, at the beginning of the 7th year since taking a break from the Song, (7 being God’s number of rest and renewal) and the past is behind, and a new, unchartered season is ahead. And it’s no coincidence that it has to begin with a “lily among thorns!”
Thank you Father, for signposts of Your grace in every season we find ourselves in.
In Love,
PamelaO