The Garden
I walked through a fire
destroyed land,
Dead trees and branches
lay all around.
My heart was heavy and my
spirit was depressed,
As I looked at the
destruction at its best.
Left, right – I knew not
which way to turn.
All I knew was to cry as
I let my anger burn.
Hurt, rejected, beaten
down was all I understood.
Where once a lavished
garden thrived
Is now a burned out waste
land with no light.
Where once a little girl
learned to dance
Now there is only burned
up branches – a remnant of the past
How could it have gotten
this far?
How could the fire have
destroyed so much?
Hurt, rejected, beaten
down was all I understood.
As I sat there with tears
of hurt streaming down my face
A voice called softly
from the distance.
It said “Come this way!”
It beckoned me to follow
ever so gently.
And in that direction I
went silently.
The walk brought back
angry memories from the past
Reliving how the fire ravished everything good.
How could walking in this
direction make things any better?
And yet I walked on ever
so silently.
Hurt, rejected, beaten
down was all I understood.
After an eternity of
walking something appeared in the distance.
Something green, alive,
and beautiful.
My feet went quicker and
soon I was upon it;
A rose bush was what
stood right in front of me.
Small and beautiful, with
bright pink roses.
How could it have
survived the fire?
How did it not get
destroyed?
Hurt, rejected, and
hopeful was all I understood.
I looked down at my feet
as the tears began to flow
And there right beside me was a watering pail.
I knelt down beside it
unsure of what to do,
And then a light hand
touched my shoulder.
I did not turn around, I
was unsure of this warmth I felt.
And then I heard a voice
whisper in my ear,
“Water the roses.”
So I took that pail and
ever so gently watered the roses.
Hurt, rejected, and
hopeful was all I understood.
As I knelt there watering
the roses the bush began to grow.
I watched in amazement as
it became big and beautiful.
I set the pail down
and the ground around it sprouted with grasses.
Quickly, I rose, stepping back in awe.
Grasses and daisies
sprouting around my feet.
Sunlight alighted the
bush and the roses sparkled in delight.
My breath was taken away
at everything that was happening.
Amazed, rejected, and
hopeful was all I understood.
I suddenly became aware
of the warm hand on my shoulder.
I turned and before me
stood a man.
His face was beautiful
and His eyes were full of love.
He was dressed in the
finest linen and His garments bespoke of righteousness.
Everything within me felt
drawn to Him.
With His arms stretched
out, I ran to Him;
He embraced me ever so
lovingly and the tears began to flow.
He held me ever tighter
so.
Amazed, loved, and
hopeful was all I understood.
I stepped back to look at
this man who held me with such Love
And as I looked into His
face I felt wholly unworthy
I fell to my knees, weeping
at my shame.
Then the man said “Here,
let Me take that off your back”
And He took off a pack I
did not know I carried.
I watched as He walked up
to a tree and place it on its branches.
As He stepped back the
tree transformed into a Cross
The tears kept flowing; I
felt completely free.
I stood to my feet and
was amazed at the lightness I finally felt.
Amazed, loved, and
hopeful was all I understood.
And then right in front
of me sprang a lake and a waterfall,
And then trees and more
flowers came in a beautiful wave of light.
A butterfly flew past me
and a little deer ran right in front of me.
Rabbits pranced around my
feet and birds sang in the branches.
I became breathless at
the miracle all around me:
Where once there was
death and now there is life.
I looked back to the man
and returned to His outstretched arms.
Amazed, loved, and free
was all I understood.
This man lifted me into
His arms and spun me around;
Laughter filled the air.
I felt complete and whole
within His arms,
And I hugged Him with
everything I could.
He set me back down and
began to sing.
His song went deep into
my heart and took root there.
Then He took my hand and
we began to dance.
Twirling and spinning,
swinging and dipping;
Dancing to the most
beautiful song I had ever heard.
Complete, loved, and free
was all I understood.
As I gazed into His eyes
of love He smiled back at me.
He wiped away the tears
streaming down my face
And bent to whisper,
“My precious diamond, I
love you! Rest in My love.”
Ashes now turned to
beauty.
And as Love coursed
through my veins I closed my eyes,
Resting in His love as I
drifted off to sleep.
Safe in His arms, and
loved for all eternity.
No longer hurt, no longer
rejected and no longer beaten down.
I’ve found hope and am
now made complete.
Loved, cherished, and His
beloved is now what I know myself to be.
