The Garden Within
This year it is all change as we have just moved to a new Rectory with a very large garden in the Cotswolds.
I can see that the soil is fertile because there is lots of growth. This patch near the house is under a large tree and facing north but is still green and lush. It all looks very promising.
I’ve included a photo of the garden which may look like just a mass of green stuff. Many years ago I trained as a garden designer and as well as form, colour and structure, they made us spend a lot of time with plants. I’ve forgotten a lot of the Latin names but in that mass of green I can see a good structure in this garden of Cornus, Ribes and Spirea. There is a self-sown white Buddleia and lots and lots of Hellebores which are one of my favourite plants. It is all very exciting yet as soon as I tried to pop in a few bulbs I discovered there was more to the garden that meets the eye. In some places here is just a thin layer of soil with solid rock underneath. Other parts seem workable but are very gravelly when I dug deeper. Some plants thrive in situations like this so with the eternal optimism of the gardener I’ve popped in some mini daffodils and I’ll see what comes up.
As I worked through the patch of God’s green earth it struck me that gardening is similar to spiritual direction. For a start we work with God in a garden. However knowledgeable I am, and however experienced a gardener I am, I can’t make the plants grow. As the apostle Paul says ‘“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the growth.” In the garden I’m reminded that direction is a three-way process of directee, God and me and that sometimes I’m the one who plants an idea and then steps back to let the primary relationship flourish.
Just like my new garden, when I meet a directee for that first meeting, there is so much information is can be hard to see where we might start but if there is a pattern of prayer, service and worship in our directee then there is something to work with. That is a bit like the structure in my garden. I can see that someone has planned it well and that makes it so much easier to work with. My gardening training has been a great help as I tackle this new horticultural challenge. Training,however we do it, is always useful in spiritual direction. At LCSD we are running days and courses to deepen and extend our practice as directors, from Developing Direction workshops on Fridays, Saturdays and our Online Refresher Course.
Although it can be hard work at times I always find myself thanking God for his goodness when I’m in a garden. I find myself doing the same with the ministry of spiritual direction. Wherever you practice direction may this autumn be one of discovery, review and planting of new things.
Questions for you and your directees:
Explore the symbolism of autumn as a season of change, transition, and harvest. How can you apply the concept of "discovery, review, and planting of new things" to your own life during this season?
Identify the "structures" in your life, similar to the plants providing structure in Karen's garden. What regular practices, routines, or beliefs form the foundation of your spiritual life? How do they support your growth and well-being?
Imagine your life as a garden. What "plants" or qualities do you want to nurture in your inner garden? How can you create a more vibrant and flourishing spiritual landscape?
Inspired by Karen's experience with planting mini daffodils in challenging soil, think about something new you'd like to "plant" or begin in your life. What steps can you take to initiate this growth, even if the conditions are not ideal?
Karen Wellman
Karen Wellman is an Anglican priest and spiritual director and the new chair of trustees of LCSD.
She completed the Encounter Course in 2020. Prior to ordination, she worked in publishing, computers and in local authority social care. She has a long term interest in online mission and has moderated large Christian discussion boards. She is currently working on an exploration of dance and gesture in prayer.