
Geraniums
Of course, the verse is talking specifically about the word of God, but for me the analogy seemed especially apt for that activity that influences us the most: what we are thinking.
I imagine a healthy mind is like a well-prepared garden, ready to seize on and nurture any seed that falls. How many times is the falling seed a negative thought such as a form of:
- awfulizing
- resentment
- despair
- wishing someone ill
- malicious gossip
- criticism (of yourself or another)
Now your mind is, in a sense, neutral in that it will receive and nurture whatever stray thought falls to the fertile earth. If it is the wrong thought, before you know it your entire garden is taken over by nasty brambles or stinging nettles. Or, to put it another way, you will quickly be consumed by a fearful thought, ruminating over something unpleasant, over-analyzing someone's thoughtless words, and so on and so on. By the way, worrying and strong emotions such as anger or fear do not exist in a vacuum; they use up your vital energy, leaving you tired and trained.
A garden needs a gardener whose job it is to root out and throw away the negative thoughts, prune those thoughts which are taking over and nurture the good thoughts that might not be able to grow strong without help.
If you are letting your mind lead you on without imposing any self-control you're letting your garden run riot. And minds, like gardens, are easier to maintain with a little work every day than letting them do their own thing for weeks or months and then having to bring in the bulldozer because you've let things get so out of hand.
A gardener cannot stop certain weeds from turning up in her garden, any more than we can entirely stop random thoughts popping up in our head. However, if she ruthlessly digs them up and casts them out the moment she notices them she can keep her garden the inspiring, soul-refreshing place it is meant to be. In the same way, when we spot ourselves indulging in a negative thought, if we stamp on it straightaway then our minds can stay our most powerful tool rather than our worst enemy.
To carry the analogy still further, a good gardener doesn't just yank out the weeds, she plants new seeds and youthful plants that she knows will be good in the garden. Are we planting uplifting, happy thoughts? Are we making sure we go back and water them and cut away any weeds that threaten to strangle them every day? Are we in control of our garden or is it control of us?
What are you growing in your garden?





