Hot summer days can lead to parched summer plants. So I often find myself, usually at some early morning hour, wandering around the yard with garden hose or watering can in hand, doing what I can to keep my plants alive.
I have tomatoes to keep going, though they seem to be all vine and little fruit this year. My squash have struggled, too, though the bell peppers look promising, and my herbs seem healthy enough. I’ve planted petunias, impatiens, snapdragons, geraniums, and a bunch of flowers whose names I don’t remember, but none of them can live without water.
On the one hand, the task of watering seems onerous … twenty minutes that could have been spent on a writing project or with a good book. On the other hand, the early morning quiet time, the freshness of the air, and the satisfaction of watching things grow leaves me feeling as refreshed as the flowers.
What better time to think thankful thoughts and connect with God than when tending to little pieces of God’s creation?
It’s no wonder that the Bible is chock full of metaphors that speak of spiritual thirst and the water of life.
Feeling dry? Get some plants, and water your soul.
Professor of Old Testament at Campbell University Divinity School in Buies Creek, North Carolina, and the Contributing Editor and Curriculum Writer at Good Faith Media.
