"Picture yourself being more of a gardener of your life, instead of a carpenter. It's more trying something and seeing how that works. Give your spirituality sun, give it nourishment. And then if it's wilting, move it. Tend to your spirituality, don't push it" (Jana Spangler). Sometimes we might be hard on ourselves spiritually. We might feel that our spirituality is too fragile, unstable, or "not good enough." We struggle to establish what we believe, what practices work for us, or how to find purpose. I love this garden analogy in light of these issues-- we are gardeners, not pilots, not builders. Building a life of faith and/or spirituality is an organic process of patient effort, experimentation, and surprises. It's okay to not know the end product or destination. It's okay to surrender complete control and take things slower. Being gentle and patient with our spirituality is fruitful and rewarding over time. Gardening cultivates attentiveness and mindfulness and greater attunement to rhythms and sensations in nature and ourselves.Â
Your spiritual gardening will be shaped by your life’s journey and the communities you take part in. Sometimes gardens need protection from threats or intruders. When I lived in Michigan, student families put netting around their vegetable gardens. Our apartments were by the forest, and deer and groundhogs would come and eat just about anything we could grow if not carefully protected. Sometimes we might move into sources of greater light that will help us grow stronger. I gardened in New Mexico for a year, where the strong sun seemed to make things grow miraculously well as long as I watered daily. In adverse conditions, sometimes we take risks, plant seeds of faith despite the poor setting, and are surprised by the results. My garden in Seattle had poor soil and not much light, but some things could thrive. My five year old son planted several sun flower seeds, and one of these grew into an incredible seven foot tall flower that neighbors took notice of. By the time it grew, we had moved on to new a new home in Montreal.
