The Garden: Revisited

Written on: July 8, 2025

And now, in the middle of my despair, in my own garden, I can’t seem to find hope.

But I’m reminded that because Jesus faced the ultimate garden that eventually lead him to his death, the death that I ultimately deserved, my current ‘garden’ is nothing but a character development moment, or God shaping my personhood. Because the ultimate garden, or ultimate punishment of sin, was fulfilled by Christ. That’s why my garden cannot be a punishment. It might be a rebuke, a discipline, maybe a reprimand, but it’s definitely not condemnation. It must be for love.

For God disciplines those he loves. So in our hardest, darkest, loneliest, most forsaken moments we know that these are just feelings, a response to our circumstances, and not truth. The truth is God loves us fully because Christ paid the ultimate price, so now our hardships are expressions of God’s love for us. (Romans 8:28)

Mor of Him and less of me. In my weakness He is strong. When I mess up He shines. When I fall I get to see how he picks me up. When I break I witness how he builds something better.

Therefore rejoice in your hardship. (James 1) Thank God for your darkness. In all things rejoice. There is joy in the Lord. Because there is eternal Love in his Spirit. “He works together all things for the good of those who love him.” That’s the shift in perspective we need when we are in a state of failure, loss, tragedy, whether it’s self-inflicted or from outside circumstances. See it as an opportunity to go deeper with God and watch how he rebuilds. He will always rebuild.

There is nothing you can obliterate to pieces in your life that God cannot redeem and put back together.