One of my favorite views is from the second story of my own house, where I am surrounded by thick, lush ivy on the side of a neighboring house and a stealthily increasing phalanx of ferns. I have to cull the ferns often, or they’d take up the whole garden. But they always grow back, waving strong in the breeze, inviting me to sit among them.
My father has always been a gardener, and his small backyard is a miniature vegetable farm. He and my brother-in-law tend it and harvest delicious vegetables well into the fall. My little garden doesn’t get such attention from me. It is a place to rest, to look on the beauties of nature, and to be at peace.
Whatever it is that relaxes you, offers a daily respite, is a gift from a loving God, I’ve come to feel. My garden is precious, especially because it is so easy to care for—I harvest only the beauty and the scents around me. A time to rest and to recharge. I hope you all use this summer to find rest and comfort from the cares and woes of our world. I hope you all draw strength and joy from the lovely, lush gifts the God who loves us all, and that these gifts of summer help you find peace within a busy world.