Gardens

Me and my friend almost got locked inside the palmerston north botanical gardens last night. After a wrong left turn we decided that we could just drive through the gardens as a shortcut. The gate was open and off we went, passing a car on the way. I thought they flashed their lights at us, but we dismissed it as the car was bouncing over a speed bump. We confidently drove closer to the exit, only to realise that the gates were shut! A U-turn and a bit of speeding later, we drove past the aforementioned car which turned out to be a security guy closing the gates. Luckily, he waited for us and we were able to drive back out the way we came. Phew!

Do you remember the novel turned movie, The Secret Garden? I used to watch it all the time when I was younger. I remember it being so mystical and so beautiful and so sad. If you don't know the story, it's a about a girl who is orphaned and sent to live with her uncle who is severely depressed after losing his wife. The girl finds a neglected garden that belonged to her late aunt and, along with a servant boy and her previously bedridden cousin, they bring the garden back to life. The uncle eventually finds them in the garden and, seeing that his son is strong and that the garden is alive, is filled with joy (yay). It really is such an enchanting story. It reminds me of the preciousness of life, and looking after that life and that we are here to grow not to hide so we fade away.

I've always loved big gardens. Almost every city has at least one. They give you a sense of peace if you want them too. You can focus on the beauty instead of on your current situation. It helps me to quiet my mind a bit, though I don't think it'd be possible to make it completely silent, and helps me to stop and think, as I'm always on the move. That's the extrovert in me coming through! I really like the concept of gardens too. It seems like all the plants and trees and flowers make each other so much more beautiful than they would be on their own. A sort of body with many parts, all growing and contrasting with each other. Some gardens are planted so that different flowers bloom in different seasons, so one patch is never without colour. And as always I enjoy the link between this and the way I feel God has set up community, although I'll let you think about that on your own.

I think gardens also bring us down to earth, so to speak. They give you the connection back to creation in a way that manmade things may never be able to do. Sure, a garden is regulated and controlled by man, but I still think it's just pruning nature so we can see all it's wild beauty on display. I don't want to neccessarily go live in a garden so I can feel like I'm going back to my roots (pun intended), but I do like the sense being in a garden gives me that is so different to being cooped up in a room and studying all day. If you have read or heard of Genesis (the first book of the bible), you'll be aware that creation all started off in a garden. God made this place full of life and to sustain that life, including us, so that we could live in harmony with Him and creation. Sounds pretty cool to me. I think maybe that's why I find gardens so special - as I often think of God in the quiet and cool atmosphere. I love the verses in the bible that talk about creation reflecting His glory and singing praises. I don't hear trees literally singing, but they just stand there and are so awesome and because God created them, I know He is pretty awesome too.

Cherry blossoms :) so pretty...