THE
GARDEN
YOU
GAVE TO ME A PACK OF SEEDS
AND
PROMISED TO SUPPLY MY NEEDS.
MY
SPIRIT SANG, MY HEART STOOD STILL
FOR
IN YOUR GARDEN I WOULD TILL.
I
SEARCHED UNTIL I KNEW I’D FOUND
THE
PERFECT SPOT, A PIECE OF GROUND
WHICH
I WOULD PLOW, MY SEED I’D SOW
AND
FOR YOUR SAKE A GARDEN GROW.
AS
I BEGAN THIS TASK FOR YOU
MY
DREAMS ENLARGED THE VISION GREW.
I
CAREFULLY DESIGNED AND PLANNED
A
PLACE TO SHOW THE WORLD YOUR HAND.
I
PLOWED THE HARD AND FALLOW GROUND
AND
SCATTERED PRECIOUS SEED AROUND.
I
WATERED, FED AND HOED THE DIRT
IGNORING
ACHES AND PAINS THAT HURT.
FOR
IN MY MIND NOT OUT OF SIGHT
A
GARDEN GREW OF SUCH DELIGHT;
WITH
FLOWERS RARE OF EVERY HUE
THEY
HAD TO COME TO ME FROM YOU.
THEN
AS THE PLANTS BEGAN TO SPROUT
I
KNEW I HAD TO KEEP WEEDS OUT
AND
WATCH FOR FROST AND GARDEN PESTS
I
NURTURED, GUARDED, DID MY BEST.
BUT
WHEN THE PLANTS BEGAN TO GROW
THEY
WERE ALL WRONG IT SEEMED AS THOUGH.
WHERE
WERE THE TALL AND STATELY STEMS,
THE
GLOSSY LEAVES AND FRAGRANT BLOOMS?
THEN
WEEDS AND THORNS BEGAN TO GROW
AND
STORMS AND WINDS BEGAN TO BLOW
I
STRUGGLED TO PROTECT THE DREAM
WITH
TOIL AND SWEAT, HOW HARD IT SEEMED
THIS
COULDN’T BE MY HEART CRIED OUT
THE
GARDEN YOU TOLD ME ABOUT.
BUT
WHEN I THOUGHT BACK TO THE START
WHEN
SEED YOU PLANTED IN MY HEART.
YOU
NEVER SAID WHAT PLANTS THESE WERE.
I
THOUGHT THEN FLOWERS, I WAS SO SURE;
THIS
GARDEN IN MY MIND SO CLEAR
MY
HEART THIS DREAM HAD VERY DEAR.
SO
ON MY KNEES I CAME IN PAIN
OH
LORD, PLEASE SHOW ME ONCE AGAIN
WHAT
PURPOSE CAN THIS GARDEN SERVE
ALTHOUGH
YOUR GRACE I DON’T DESERVE
LIFT
UP YOUR EYES YOU SAID AND SEE
THE
WORLD IS STARVING AND HUNGRY
THEIR
CRAVINGS LEAD THEM ALL ASTRAY
GRUBBING
TRASH IN ALLEYWAYS
HE
SAID TO ME WHEN MY HEART STILLED
YOU
HAVE A GARDEN WHICH IS FILLED
WITH
FOOD ENOUGH TO SERVE THEM ALL
YOUR
GARDEN IS A BANQUET HALL.
THE
VISION THAT YOUR HEART CONCEIVED
WAS
BORN OF YOU AND NOT OF ME.
THE
WORK IS MINE, THE GARDEN TOO
JUST
LET ME WORK IT OUT THROUGH YOU.
THERE
IS A TIME FOR FLOWERS TO GROW
BUT
NOT UNTIL THE WORLD CAN KNOW
THAT IN YOUR GARDEN I HAVE SPREAD
A TABLE WITH THEIR DAILY BREAD
By Eileen Hardeman