In the Garden

Read 1 Samuel 3:1-10

"Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth."
-Psalm 46:10 (NRSV)

I love noise -- steady, constant reminders that I am not alone. Radio, television, the sound of other family members clanking around in the kitchen -- all of these are a joy to me. And when no one else is around to make noise for me, I create the illusion of company by making noise myself. This need for company even carries over to my relationship with God. More often than not, when I've run out of things to say, I start saying the same things over again.

Unfortunately, while I am busy talking, no one else is able to. Over the years, I have discovered that God is a very polite listener and refuses to talk when I am talking. God consistently waits to speak until I'm ready to listen.

Finally, knowing this day might never come, God gently began nudging me toward the hobby of gardening -- an activity that occupies me so well I didn't think about talking. Amazingly, as I pull the weeds out of the dirt to make room for my herbs and vegetables and flowers, I am silent. I hear the birds and feel the wind, but I am content with no need to comment. Thoughts about my day, my friends, family, and co-workers simply drift away, and I am with God. For me, time in the garden is prayer.

by Anna C. Gheen (Idaho, USA)