Jul 12, 2015 5 min read

Happy Belated Fourth of July!

How did you celebrate your Independence Day? Maybe you had a little bit of barbecues, fireworks, music, fun times with family and friends, and the movie Independence Day on repeat in the background? Isn’t it fun to celebrate the Fourth of July?

Speaking of celebrations, the fourth is also my step-mom’s birthday. Now that I think about it, that’s a pretty awesome way to celebrate your birthday. Every year you get millions of people partying and tons of fireworks! I mean it’s great but only if you like people and love fireworks.

Unfortunately, I think that in these United States of America we take that day, and many of our independent days for granted. We take our freedoms for granted. And in taking them for granted, we mud the waters and confuse freedom or self-governance with no governance or rules or policies or laws. Think about it. The way in which many Americans celebrate Independence Day is with buffoonery and law-breaking. We should be so proud of ourselves. Please note my sarcasm. Now let me stop here. I know for sure that someone reading this commentary is already starting to make assumptions about where this article is going.

First let me respond with, “Girl bye.” My commentaries are proof alone that I couldn’t survive in a monarchy or dictatorship. I’ve got too much to say for all that. Second, let me note that I rarely get that deep with you about politics. You know that Gina likes to keep you guessing about her political beliefs and views. But they may be correct that I am concerned with how we, as individuals and as collective bodies self-govern.

Let me explain. This summer, my boyfriend decided to grow a garden. He is all in. Buying the wood and soil to create the planter’s box. He is growing corn, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, greens, and maybe a few other veggies. I love it.

I am so proud of him and the work he’s done. Its amazing to see that in such a short time, so much can grow from little seeds. This week, during one of our regular prayer times, we began to discuss the garden. We reflected on how much God has shown him, me and us through these vegetables and this experience. Think of God as the master gardener. And think of yourself as the garden. Each day, God wakes up early to till the ground, water and nurture the soil, make sure that each part of the garden has enough sunlight to grow. He patiently waits, checking every few hours (or days) to see if anything is blooming. He is sure to put protection around the garden. He wants to do his best to keep any and all harmful elements away. Because of his hard work, patience, and sacrifice, you, the garden begin to grow. You have buds that start to bloom. Nourished by the water and sunlight, protected from the harsh elements of weather, animals and bugs, you are growing and blossoming into a wonderful, lush garden.

You are the perfect reflection of God’s love, care, and protection. As you continue to feed off of the water and sunlight God is providing, you begin to outgrow your space. Your vegetables and green branches are starting to reach over the fences and hang over the edge of the garden box that God built for you. And even though you are growing bigger and taller than even you imagined, God is still there. He visits each day to make sure that you are protected. He does his best to keep the pests away. But sure enough, a squirrel makes his way into the garden to steal one of your tomatoes. A few bugs also sneak in and begin to eat at your leaves. Disappointed but not defeated, God intervenes and builds more protection to keep you safe. Now this metaphor could go on for days, but I will stop here. I want you to take a moment and process this with me. God is the master gardener. You are the garden. He knows us from the time when we are just seeds. He nourishes us daily with SONlight (catch that spelling) and water (his Word). Without his nourishing word and his son, you would not and cannot grow — that is dependence. Too often we understand dependence as being under control. But let me tell you, dependence on the right source, can lead to a growth and freedom like you’ve never experienced. The garden box represents boundaries, rules, and laws. Its not a bad thing to have laws or rules to govern our lives. Its also not a bad thing to be corrected. When God takes time to prune us, He is investing in our growth. The pruning represents God’s correction and protection. (Proverbs 12:1; John 15:2) The squirrel, he represents distractions. Even though God nourishes us, protects us, and stays with us every moment of every day, He allows squirrels in our lives. We must learn how to keep growing, stay focused, and not allow squirrels to steal from us or distract us from our purpose here on this earth. The Lord is the vine and we are the branches. If we remain in Him, we will bear much fruit. (John 15:5) So my friends, how free are you? Are you living a life dependent on the Lord with freedoms that you couldn’t even fathom? Or are you too preoccupied with self-governance that you’d rather stay free in your mind instead of free indeed? FYI I’ve never seen a lush garden grow itself. Just sayin.

Gina Jones is a life-long resident of Fayette County and serves the community as an encourager, educator and advocate. Learn more about Gina at www.gmarieproductions.com.