Gardens Grow Gardeners
A distant place, a barren land
blistered and beaten by sun and sand
God whispered in the ear of man
"Grow my garden here young man."
"Here my Lord? It is scorched and dry
rock and thistle and sand here lie
surely all that I plant will die
but if you ask, then I must try."
"Give no concern to what you see
all I ask will come to be
Let all concern return to me
tend this ground on bended knee."
Man prayed, as had been said
he went to work with faith instead
he broke the ground and daily fed
from heart and wounded hands that bled.
Relentless sun was laid his crown
but spared, the consecrated ground
the sand and sun would daily pound
but did not touch ,what he lay down.
Gentle rains with evening came
they fell, no where else the same
His ground grew rich, and dark and tame
all other ground, stayed ruin and shame.
He labored long, spread hope with seed
He kept from there the nagging weed
He daily prayed its every need
His love became the garden's feed.
From scorch and ruin, from barren land
came plush, a green out of the sand
from tender heart and calloused hand
erupted splendor from the plan.
Outstretched, upon the wondrous ground
face impaled, in the dirt he found
As though a man, in earth could drown
his lips, left thanks in every mound.
Came again, the voice once heard
it trembled in his heart as word
"Well you've done and well you serve
my garden grows, from faith and nerve.
I give you now far greater worth
another garden not of earth
Prepared for you before your birth
her only need, to make her first.
Give only gentle, tender care
truth alone should come to bare
Bathe her deep in daily prayer
all harshness, any anger spare.
Give not to much to other men
She will grow, from the time you spend
Take not from her to give to them
they are pretenders, she the friend.
Give great concern in what you grow
each day examine what you sow
what you give, in time will show
The depth of care, revealed in row."
Gardens grow from tender hand
from a self, surrendered by the man
she is the soil within God's plan
The soil He chooses to grow a man.
