“Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.”
Genesis 2:15
There’s something about digging in the dirt that connects deep within my soul. I remember when I was a kid, my grandmother–probably to get me and my brothers out of the house and to keep us from harassing her cat–would give us a spoon to go and dig in the dirt. I loved it. Probably spent hours doing it.
Fast forward many decades, and I’ve yet to outgrow my love for digging in the dirt. Only now, I’m a little more strategic with the placement of my spoon (or shovel :-)). I still get excited thinking about planting a tree or a vegetable or a plant. I love the smell of the earth. I love the potential of the plant. I love the beautification of the ground. I love the diversity of the colors and the smells. I love the view of the changing scenery throughout the seasons as the plant or tree grows.
Well, as God would have it, my family and I finally decided to sell our house in Denton and move to a little more property in Aubrey. What’s incredible is that the property we purchased is from a dear family that stewarded well the land for decades. All over our new property are flowers and trees and plants that were carefully placed to gather the sun and attract different pollinators and beneficial insects. This family had taken their time, invested their energy, and handed to us a legacy of cultivation and stewardship. They did their part, and now it’s up to us to continue the legacy of cultivating and keeping.
As you might imagine, we were more than excited to get started. And so, our first step was to plant a little orchard that we hope produces fruit not only for us, but for the next family, as well as for many families to come.
How Does This Apply To Us Today?
- Steward your land(or your job, or your marriage, or your children, or your time, or your money, or your ____) to honor God…
- Steward your land(or your job, or your marriage, or your children, or your time, or your money, or your ____) to bless the next land owner…
- Steward your land(or your job, or your marriage, or your children, or your time, or your money, or your ____) to connect with an ancient and primary responsibility given by God…
Be fruitful and multiply…wherever you are…
Cultivate and keep any responsibility or sphere of influence given to you with care and love…
Wait patiently…cultivate…keep…and let God bring the fruit!