Article August 3, 1899 Issue

Gardening

By Ethel Whitcomb

I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; and, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come. —PROVERBS, 24: 30-34.

I ALWAYS receive fresh help from thinking that we are all gardeners having our various patches of ground to till. The first demand of Christian Science is Scriptural, "Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord" (Hosea, 10:12). Hardened by creeds and dogmas, chilled by selfishness and sin, all must hear the voice of one crying in the wilderness "Repent." Weary of all that is fleeting and false, with hearts hungering and thirsting for righteousness, the "fallow ground" is broken up and prepared for planting.

"Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." No words could be truer! Each thought seed springs up and blossoms in our gardens. If we would have lilies we must plant lilies. "Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" If we would know joy we must sow freely seeds of humility, love, mercy, and justice, never admitting a discordant thought. Not only must we plow and plant, but also weed our gardens—erase every mortal thought, every belief in a power apart from God—Good. We have no time to peer over our fences to watch and criticise another's weeds, for we all have enough to do in our own gardens. Our Master said "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone." To weed our gardens once a summer is not sufficient, daily must we go through this process, for it is easier to uproot a weed that has grown but a day than one a week old. There are many reasons why we should keep our gardens weeded, and the flowers of heaven blooming. One is the example it sets for others. Our Leader says "No reproof is so potent as the silent lesson of a good example" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 127).

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