Repost: The Garden

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.