God's Green Earth
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Recently, I have come to think of God as a gardener, a masterful Creator, looking at His garden from above. The Bible is full of metaphors and parables relating to gardening, and I do not believe for one second it’s a coincidence. As my good friend, Becky, once told me, “There are no coincidences, only God-instances”.
God points our attention to the lilies. Jesus asks us to consider the sower who leaves seed on three types of soil. He began the world with a garden, and Jesus spent His last night before crucifixion in a garden. If a theme is repeated that many times, I think it benefits us to take a closer look.
I hardly consider myself a gardener, but I can appreciate the beauty of a flowerbed or a sea of bluebonnets. I enjoy a plate of vegetables from our family garden, and I smile each time I pass under the shade of a live oak tree. God has taught me to appreciate Him as our Creator and the Creator of the world. He had purpose behind His design, and I have the glorious job of learning to understand it a little more every day.
To me, this is more than experiencing God’s beauty; it’s about experiencing His nearness. A seed can do little without a gardener, just like we are helpless without God. My goal is for you to cling to God, get a better understanding of His truth through Bible study and prayer, and learn to let Him provide you with what you need.
I truly hope you take what I have to say and use it to deepen your relationship with God. I have absolutely enjoyed learning more about God through my own studies on this topic, and I pray you will too. Plant your garden, let those roots take hold, and ask God to be your Master Gardener. Let him cultivate your heart to look like His. Enjoy the beauty that will arise from this experience. Prepare for work as you prune and weed, but ultimately, reap the blessings that flow from a life alongside Jesus Christ.
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About the Book
First impressions count. God set the tone when He created the earth with our first glimpse of the Garden of Eden. But He didn’t stop there. On so many occasions in the Bible, God directs our attention to the flowers. Jesus spent time in solitude in the Garden of Gethsemane. He taught us about growing in Him through the Parable of the Sower. When God repeats an idea, it deserves more than a quick glance. God cultivates us as we grow in relationship with Him when we recognize that He is our Gardener, growing us into His beautiful image. God’s Green Earth is a collection of these concepts, intended to help those in search of a deeper connection with Christ.
About the Author
Maddie Dumas can typically be found with her nose in a book or a kid on her hip. She began writing her blog, Jesus and Jello (www.jesusandjello.wordpress.com), in 2016, and the words haven’t stopped coming. Maddie graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Family and Child Studies, and a minor in Religious Studies. By day, she is a Certified Child Life Specialist, making the hospital a little bit less stressful for children and families as they walk through uncharted waters of chronic illness. She serves as children’s minister and sings in the worship team with her husband, Daniel, at their church. Together, they have two sons, Hudson and Harrison, and with that being said, there is never a dull moment. She and her family live in Geismar, Louisiana.