When we finished those tasks we went to a nearby home and removed the hay that was in their garden covering their potatoes.
I have never used a pitch fork before today. Neither had I landscaped trees, or dug holes for mulch. The same was true for most if not all of the team.
In the garden we were out of our element.
The work was hard. And the day was hot and muggy. Yet we worked with joy on our faces. I can say that I am proud of our group because I heard no grumbling as we worked. They served well.
As we were working I found my mind drifting to Genesis and Adam and Eve and that first garden. I couldn't help but feel that as we worked we were reconnecting with part of God's original design for us.
As we worked we became stewards of God's creation.
Caring for the Earth is on a lot of our minds right now. It is something we talk about and think about. But caring for the environment is not something churches are known for.
Which is a shame.
God made us stewards of his garden, then of the whole earth. I hope that I will continue to follow the example of my team and be a steward caring for God's gardens without grumbling.
I hope that from now on I can serve God in the garden with their joy.
