A Taste Of Heaven Right Behind Our House

Surely on God's new earth we'll have some space to grow a nice row of sugar snap peas.
(View is from behind our house toward our neighbors' duplex)

Of all of life's pleasures, few of them compare to the joy of planting, cultivating and harvesting a garden--unless it is the joy of enjoying its fruit.

According to the book of Genesis, a productive garden was humanity's first home, and at the other end of the Bible's story we are told there will be trees bearing all manner of fruit, a different kind for each month of the year.

Between these two narratives, we learn that one of Jesus's favorite places was a garden that included a productive olive grove, the Garden of Gethsemane, and that Jesus's body was buried in a friend's memorial garden. Then on the morning of his resurrection--before dawn on Easter--Mary, one of his followers, mistook Jesus for a gardener.

So with God's interest in botany, horticulture and in all manner of living and growing things, I'm thinking there will be lots of garden space in the next life. Meanwhile, the time we spend in such spaces is rewarding not only for what is harvested for the body, but for what is resurrected in the soul.

Stormie Omartian, author of "Lord, I Want to Be Whole," writes, "One of the greatest things you can do outdoors is gardening. Getting your hands in the earth has a miraculous calming effect upon your whole being. Digging up weeds and planting flowers and vegetables is great therapy."

As a therapist, I heartily agree.

And I would add, applying layers of semi-composted, weed-inhibiting, soil enriching mulch from the mountain of leaves and grass clippings we collect each year adds to the pleasure. After years of doing this, our mostly clay soil has become a dark loam that is a pleasure to work with. Sugar snap peas, green and lima beans, tomato plants, sweet corn and all kinds of vegetables thrive on it, as do the army of earthworms that tirelessly work at improving the soil throughout the year.

Some separate flower, tea and salad gardens next to the house provide things like lettuce, spinach, onions, beets and carrots.

Now if we can just keep the nearby herd of deer at bay, we'll be fine.

We harvested some sugar snap peas this week, but the beans and corn in the 
foreground won't be ready until next month sometime.