Tending My Own Garden

One gorgeous Saturday afternoon as I was outside weeding my flower garden, I was praying to the Lord about a wicked person, who seemed to be getting away with a lot of evil, and I was asking Him to take care of them for me. I was extremely agitated and emotionally disturbed over the situation. I was rebuking jealousy, control, gossip, the spirit of offense in the other person, when all of a sudden, I distinctly heard, “STOP! Look around you!” So, I looked around me at the beautiful day, the sun, my hands in the earth pulling out weeds, the beauty of the flowers, the buzzing bees, the sound of the birds. I heard the voice again, “You are doing exactly what I want you to do right now.”

I saw my hands in the dirt and realized I was tending to my own garden, pulling out my own weeds. Tears came into my eyes when I realized what I had been doing. I felt tremendous peace come over me in that moment. We must look in His Eyes very much like five-year-olds playing in a sand-box, throwing sand in each other’s eyes and then crying to Dad pointing fingers at one another and pouting.

I also heard Him say that day, “The only jealousy you need to be concerned about is Mine.” A song came down that day in the garden…here are some of the words:

Your jealous heart was broken for me, Lord, let me live in Your jealousy.

No other gods or idols I see, when I abide in Your jealousy.

Your jealous heart that chased after me, Lord, let me live in Your jealous.

Such a love is hard to comprehend, a jealousy so unlike the ways of men.

That pursued me for my greater good and is patient when I haven’t understood.

Rather than tending to myself I was fixating on the problem, which in turn made an idol of the problem. Did the other person change? In this circumstance, no, BUT I DID!

You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3

Marda Potter