The First Garden's Lesson

Who inspired you this week? Myron He said that Genesis shows us something mind-blowing: Before anything else, God told man to “be fruitful.” Why? Because He’s the Master Gardener!"

I started to rehearse the meaning and context, and it donned on me that, in gardening, there are other principles factors that are in control and governs human daily take on living.

Here, I created a descriptive imagery to internalize the teaching.

The title is "The First Garden's Lesson"

Here it is; it is long one so, take your time to read and find the joy that I did writing it:

Sarah stood in her backyard, hands covered in rich soil, contemplating the tiny tomato seedling she was about to plant. Her daughter Katie, age 6, watched curiously.

"Why do we have to wait so long for tomatoes, Mom? Can't we just buy them?"

Sarah smiled, gently placing the seedling in its new home. "You know, this reminds me of the very first garden - Eden. God didn't just snap his fingers and create a fully grown garden. He planted seeds and seedlings, knowing they would need time to grow. He then taught Adam and Eve to tend it, to be 'fruitful.'"

"Like us with our tomatoes?"

"Exactly! And you know what's really special? When we plant something and help it grow, we're doing one of the first things God ever taught humans to do. We're not just growing food - we're learning patience, care, and how to nurture things to their full potential."

This concept extends beyond literal gardens. Think of a teacher who sees potential in a struggling student. Rather than giving answers, they plant seeds of knowledge and nurture understanding, watching it grow naturally over time. Just like God showed us in Eden, true fruitfulness often comes through patient cultivation rather than instant results.

Katie leaned in closer, picking up a handful of soil herself. "But what if our plants don't grow, Mom?"

Sarah paused her work, wiping her brow. "Sometimes they won't. Last year's carrots barely sprouted, remember? But look at these marigolds." She gestured to the bright orange flowers bordering their garden. "Those came from the seeds we saved from last year's plants."

"From those dead flower heads you made me help collect?" Katie's eyes widened.

"Those very ones! You see, God's first command to be fruitful wasn't just about making things grow - it was about learning to multiply what we're given. Even when things don't work out as planned, there's always a lesson in the growing."

Just then, their elderly neighbor, Mr. Chen, called over the fence. In his hands were several small potted herbs - basil, mint, and rosemary.

"I heard someone's learning about gardening," he smiled, holding out the pots. "These are from my greenhouse cuttings. When you learn to grow something, you should always share it with others."

Katie beamed, carefully accepting the gifts. "Mom, can we give Mr. Chen some of our tomatoes when they grow?"

"That's exactly what being fruitful is all about, sweetheart."

Here's another example that illustrates this principle in a different context:

Consider a small business owner named Marcus who runs a local bakery. He could focus solely on selling as many loaves as possible, but instead, he chooses to "be fruitful" in a deeper way. He takes on apprentices, teaching them not just recipes, but the art of breadmaking passed down through generations. He hosts workshops for children, plants an herb garden behind the bakery for fresh ingredients, and shares his sourdough starter with anyone who asks. His business doesn't just produce bread - it cultivates community, knowledge, and tradition.

Each morning, as the smell of fresh bread fills his street, Marcus isn't just making a product - he's continuing a chain of nurturing and multiplication that traces back to that very first garden. The apprentices he teaches go on to open their own bakeries, spreading not just the craft, but the values of sharing, teaching, and nurturing that they learned from him.

This demonstrates how being "fruitful" isn't just about multiplication - it's about creating ripples of positive growth that extend far beyond our immediate efforts, just as a single seed can eventually produce an entire garden's worth of fruit.

I am Joe Ogbechie - let me hear from you!

@i