Neelima Singh
He speaks, have you heard him yet?
What version of God have you met? God has a version? Confused? Well let me put it this way, how has God manifested himself to you? Some people see God as a caring father, whenever they need something he provides. Some people see him as a protector, they call to Him in their troubles and he answers. Some see Him as a King, He shows his grandeur to give them hope and strengthen faith. So, you see God does not have a fixed menu to interact with you but an à la carte. He looks at us as individuals with our own beautiful complexities and addresses each one of us in the best possible manner. My version of God recently has been that of a “gardener”.
I have loved to garden all my life. I get excited so see how something starts as a tiny seed and grows to become a beautiful plant. The process of nurturing the plant and watching it progress gives me immense joy. However it was not until I moved to Canada and having my constant spiritual conversations with my dear friends Ram and Mahima that my encounter with the Gardner God began.
If you look at Genesis, after creating the entire universe, the first thing that God ever custom-make for man was a garden. He chose the best soil, the best plants and the most beautiful location, to prepare a garden for Adam and Eve to enjoy. I am not sure how the story would have been, if Eve did not eat the fruit, but I am sure the garden that God prepared would have been self-sufficient, for them to live happily ever after. So, God knows the joys of gardening and since I enjoy gardening so much, he started to talk to me while I was at it. Every day is a new learning, however I will list 3 things that he taught me.
1. Uprooted and Upheld :
My Canadian friend Tom owns a bungalow up in the mountain country. During summers we go there every week for the upkeep property. It sits in the midst of woods surrounded by tall trees, green grass, pretty little creatures, a babbling brook and a beautiful lake nearby. I go for walks in the trails and the scenery is breathtaking. Sometimes I come across a beautiful flower or a plant that I know I would love to plant in my garden back home. So I carefully uproot the plant making sure the roots are not hurt, pack it safely in a container and bring it home. I make sure I pick a good spot in my garden, dig a pit, fill it with good composted soil, fertilize it and then plant the new plant. I know it has come into a new environment so I take extra care to ensure it takes and flourishes. While on one such expedition God started to speak to me. Sometimes in our lives we face adversities that shake the ground under our feet. We feel as if we have been uprooted from our comfort zone and adjusting to new things seems impossible. What we don’t realize is that when God uproots us, he does so to take us to a better place, where he can give us extra care and help us grow for his glory. The process might seem painful in the beginning but if we persevere and put our faith in him, His vision for us will be revealed to us. So don’t fret when you are uprooted, you will be upheld by God.
2. Caught in the Crossfire:
Here in Canada, like most of North America, spring brings the best of nature. Everything is growing and the changes are rapid. All yards have grass that grows along with weeds and it needs constant shearing to keep the place looking beautiful and tidy. I planted some daffodils in the ground (I got them from the woods of course) and one day I saw the grass and weeds were all around them. So I started shearing the weeds and accidentally cut a few of my daffodils. I felt really bad but then again the Holy Spirit chose to talk to me at that very moment. Sometimes we face situations and circumstances which cause us trouble and we don’t understand why it happened. We feel God is angry with us and is punishing us along with everyone else. However as believers we need to remember that God never wants to harm us. Sometimes we get caught in the crossfire when he is punishing the wrong doers, just like he punished those in Sodom and Gomorrah. It does not mean he is angry with us. As believers we need to keep our trust in Him, because no matter what the situation looks like, God is always in control. He will protect us and keep us.
3. Growing strong but bearing no fruit:
Some plants in my garden grew healthy and strong. I thought they would bear good fruit. However after taking care of them and waiting, I still don’t see any fruit and that is very disappointing. It is the same with God and us too. He cares for us and nurtures us, but do we bear fruit for him? While thinking about it one day it struck me, what is it actually to bear fruit? I asked Ram the same question and he made me understand that living according to God’s will is bearing fruit for him. Mind you, each one of us bears fruit differently, so seek God to help you understand what fruits he wants from you. While meditating on the word of God during the same time he let me in on His secret: John 6:28
28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
That is it! Just believe in him!
Jesus spoke to his disciples and followers in parables of fisherman, farmer, bridegroom or a shepherd because they could relate to the characters in the stories and understand his teachings. He is the same today. He can teach you in ways that you can relate to. Are you ready to listen? Open your heart to Him today because he is anxious to talk to you. Let him show his version of Himself to you. God bless you!!!
-Neelima Singh