The Garden - A Story

Once upon a time, there was a wonderfully kind woman.  She LOVED the Lord and lived her life in discipline to obey Christ in everything.  She would sing and dance in worship to her Creator.   
Life was SO very good.  

The husband was a strong man - both temperamentally and physically.  She loved him with everything in her.  She loved him so much, it didn't bother her much when he would plan everything in her life.  After all, he was outgoing, funny, much more "worldly" than she, and had better ideas than her.  
Their times together were good.

This woman loved plants and all things nature - that is where she met with God.  But, as the years wore on, her garden began to die.  The flowers didn't bloom like they used to.  Weeds choked them out.  Her husband would help, and care for the garden.  
It seemed good.

There were years the woman was exceptionally weary.  She struggled to care for the garden.  Instead of leaning on the Creator - the Master Gardener - for help, she leaned on her husband.  She would still spend time with and talk to the Master Gardener, but the husband kept the garden for her during these times.  
This was not good.

Years passed, the woman became comfortable with relying on the husband to tend her garden - a plot intended for her and her Lord.   She never noticed her the husband was, in actuality, weeding out her flowers.  He was neglecting the care of the soil - which became sterile and toxic to the flowers fighting to bloom.  Instead, grew the weeds he cultivated.  
This was bad.

The woman, loving her husband, convinced herself that weeds are beautiful, too.  Look how they twisted around her lone flower left in the garden!  She would tilt her head and admire their thick tendrils and strong thorns.  This was not surprising.  Because of her kindness, she could see beauty in nearly everything the Lord created.  
This perspective was good. 

She knew in her heart that her husband's well tended weeds were choking out the one flower which had survived the years.  The woman didn't know what to do.  There were too many weeds.   So much time had passed - she had excused and trusted.  ... She looked at God's garden again... so many weeds!  The weeds were all that could be seen as far as her eye could see.  
This was bad.  

The woman turned to study the soil.  This was difficult - the weeds were so thick, she had to cut holes through the thorny vines to see.  You see, she also possessed knowledge.  She knew that healthy soil is necessary for healthy plants.  Her heart broke at what she saw.  The ground had sat uncultivated for so long - it was as hard as stone.  The weeds had taken all the nutrients out of the soil for the beautiful garden.  
This was really bad.

She had never spoken up to instruct her husband as to the garden.  She knew what it took to keep the soil fertile and what was needed for the garden to flourish.  Why had she never spoken up?  Why had she excused and even encouraged these errant practices?  
This was bad.

Suddenly, she was gripped with fear.  It felt just like those vines around the one flower.... the last flower.  It wrapped around her legs, and crippled her. The weeds stole the woman's will and courage as she gazed, distracted and searching for beauty.  
This was terrifyingly bad.

Before the weeds had taken over the land, the woman was free to move.  That fear was more subtle... more excusable.  Occasionally, she would trip.   Fortunately, her husband had created winding paths for her to stay on.  As long as she stood on the path, she would be fine.  There were times she would try to pull the weeds, they would prick and fill her with more fear. Disheartened she would slide back onto the dictated path, and back into gazing and searching for beauty in the garden.... the Lord's garden.  
Was this good?

As the weeds grew and the paths were rerouted, the woman was unable to reach her flower.  The last of the Lord's garden.  She summoned up the courage to go to the flower.  Through the weeds, the thorns, the thick briars -- she reached the flower and held it.  It was never supposed to be this way.  The garden was never meant to grow this way - die this way?  She couldn't even remember how long it had been or how the garden had come to this point.  
This was heartbreakingly bad.

She cried and held the lone flower. But now, the weeds wrapped tightly around her torso.  They dug into her skin... causing her to bleed.  Fear.  They tightened and grew in strength at her defiance in not staying on the path made.  Tighter.  Fear.  Tighter.  But she held the flower - knowing that it should have never been this way.  
This was terribly bad.

The woman called out for her husband.  "HELP!  You are my trusted protector and friend!"  No answer.  She cried out again.  This time she saw her husband watering the weeds - watching her.  As their eyes locked - hers in fear, his in anger - He yanked the vines, tightening their grip even more.  She bled.  She was injured.  She sat crying.  Why?  
This was ... never meant to be... bad.

She fell to her knees - flower in hand. Broken.  Sad.  And with all the breath left in her, she called out to the Lord -- the Creator of the garden.  The Master Gardener.  With one look, He pulled her to her feet.  Gently twisted the vines off her.  And asked her to release her grip on the flower.  She did.  
This was good.

The Master Gardener then asked her if she would trust Him.  The woman looked around and wept as she explained there was nobody else to trust.  She had been deceived - had allowed fear to destroy the garden that was theirs.  She could not go back to her husband's path.  She had to come face to face with the truth of the ugliness of the vines ... the death they brought ... the complacency she allowed ... the fear she fed.  
This was hard - but good.

He began to clear the ground.  As the Lord - the Master Gardener - began to to a mighty work, she saw that many were on her husband's paths following.  They were angry she had left their path.  They didn't understand and were cruel.  They were never there to see the flower or the garden.  They didn't see.  It was as if they didn't even recognize her - friends, family.   She realized they did not come meet with God as she had.  They simply followed.  This broke her heart.  
This was not good.

The Lord continued to clear the ground.  Uproot and destroy the vines - throwing them into the fire.  The path walkers screamed and hurled insult - their anger bubbled out.  They could not contain the anger they felt at the husband's work being destroyed.  They wrongly thought the weeds were his great work.  This was not true.  He was not meant to garden this plot.  And this was not how the garden was meant to be.  
The change was painful - but good.

The husband was so sad about his weeds.  But was he?  She did not know.  She saw him nurture and then yank the vines to injure her.  He had promised to protect her.  He sobbed... the vines -- HIS vines.  
He felt this was bad.

The Lord continued the good work.  The sobs of the husband turned into rage.  How DARE his vines be taken.  How dare his paths be ruined!  LOOK at all the followers following his paths!!!  Where will they follow now?!  
The Master Gardener continued ... HIS work was was good.

As the Lord touched the ground, it became rich and fruitful... the woman cried tears of joy and sang praises.  She found a voice she had forgotten she had been given.  She watched  the Master Gardener planting new flowers in the ground.  Not yet grown, she knew they would be even more beautiful than before.  
This is wonderfully good!

Today, the woman sits with her Lord in the garden.  It's a bit empty, as the seeds are just growing.  But she knows something new is coming - something beautiful.  She and her Creator talk and wait.  He tells her of the trees and fruit - the colorful flowers and glorious scent.  She is healing.  Her master Gardener is healing her as they wait together.  
This is very, very good.

The Master Gardener is also working on the husband... though the woman cannot see.  But she trusts her Lord.  
This.  Is.  Good!