In Moody magazine, John H. Timmerman writes: “In the back corner of my yard, partitioned by a rose bed and a 40-year-old lilac bush, rests a pile, 8 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 4 feet high – my compost pile. Old-fashioned chicken wire stapled to well-anchored stakes holds it in place. Into it I toss every bit of yard scrap and a heavy dose of kitchen scrap, a bit of lime now and then, a good dose of dog droppings, and an occasional handful of fertilizer. The compost pile burns hot, never smells, and each October yields about 70 bushels of fine black dirt, dark as midnight, moist and flaky, that I spread in the garden … Gardeners call it ‘black gold’ … It nurtures 80 roses and a half-dozen beds of perennials and annuals.”
Timmerman then adds the thought, “Could it be that what nourishes my plants nourishes me?”
Timmerman compares his compost soil, which grows rich and fertile as it sits for months, to his life and the need of his soul for rest. Daily life hands us all kinds of things ~ good and bad ~ scraps, lime, and even some “dog droppings.” But over time these things can transformed our hearts into a rich and fertile place. How can this be? How can my heart be at rest and be even richly transformed through the daily scraps and ‘droppings’ of life? Listen to King David,
“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God ; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:5-8
“Find rest … in God alone” and over time the difficulties of daily life have the effect of turning our hearts into a rich and fertile place. Many in our congregation give testimony of this. You can too.
Pastor Mark
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