A Gardener’s Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day means a lot of different things to different people. To some it means food and family. To others, it means football. Others will always think of the Pilgrims and the Indians first. And almost everyone has turkey on his mind as the holiday draws near.
But
let’s not forget the real reason for Thanksgiving - to give thanks
to God for our many blessings. I think George Washington said it
best when he declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.
He envisioned a day “of
public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with
grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God.”
With that is mind, I am sharing a few things that I am
thankful for as a Gardener.
I am
thankful that as a nation, we are blessed with so much disposable
income that we can afford to buy annual flowers just to make our
yard a little brighter for a few months.
I am
thankful for the variety of plants that He has created for us to
enjoy. Not only has God
has given us wonderful native plants, but we have access to African
Violets, Dutch Crocus, Japanese Maples, Chinese Dogwoods, and plants
from around the world.
I am thankful that God has entrusted the care and cultivation of
some of his most beautiful creations to a humble man like me.
I am thankful for the flowers He gives us in Summer and for the leaves He paints with color each Autumn. I am thankful that God gives us a rest from garden work each Winter, and I am thankful the He rejuvenates the world each Spring.
We have been given so much, that one day of
thanksgiving is simply not enough.
So the next time you admire a favorite flower or pick a
beautiful rose, take a moment to thank God.
After all, we may have planted it, but He
created it.
