Be the good soil

At Hope’s view I am amazed daily at the fruit and vegetables, flowers and trees that flourish and grow here.  I was moving some of the soil the other day from one place to another and it has to be said, we are blessed at Hope’s View with very rich and lush soil. I am convinced it makes a huge difference, in fact probably the key to good growth. It’s like anything can grow here, which is why somehow we are growing pineapples and bananas, when I thought they only grew at the top of Australia. The worms are the length of my arm, the grubs are meal size, the kookaburras follow me everywhere and feed well when I till the good soil.

Of course God’s word has a lot to say about being planted in good soil in order to grow our faith.  Although the farmer has a role to play, when you are in good soil, with the right natural conditions, it’s hard to not see growth. I feel like if I sat long enough I could literally see the flowers and plants and vegetables grow here at Hope’s .

But I not only long to be in good soil, I long to be “good soil”, to be a place that when myself and others in my life are close they are feel enriched, they grow, they flourish.

1 John 1 begins with a disciple sharing about the flourishing life they had being with the ‘good soil’, who was Jesus.  He says,

“from the very first day, we were there, taking it all in – we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands … the infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. We saw it, we heard it and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ”[1]

Wow, I mean wow … here is an account of the disciples who walked, experienced, lived it out with Jesus and they are so changed they can’t help but speak out, share and long for others to flourish in the good soil like they did. He was the ‘good soil’. And because of what Jesus did on the cross, we hold this opportunity within us. To walk with him, to see and hear with our own eyes and ears, to commune with him, to experience flourishing life with him. And to be the ‘good soil’ for others.

To be good soil is to live in the ‘way of Jesus’. Jesus had a principle and pattern of solitude, a time and space set aside for prayer and meditation, sometimes on his own, sometime with others.[2]

 Jesus said to his disciples:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly”[3]

This doesn’t mean this life will not feel like a heavy yoke (as the NIV describes in Matt 11:28-30). In fact, He expects it, knowing we will be tired, worn out, burnt out, the brokenness of this world will do it to us all.  What matters is what we choose to do when that happens. The choice is to get away, to learn His rhythms that we might be the ‘good soil’ this broken world needs.  Hope’s View has given me that gift. Every day, God feeds every part of my heart, soul, mind and body.  It is a place to recover my life, a place to learn that with Him I can live freely and lightly. It is a daily choice I desire to choose. Hope’s View’s ‘good soil’, with gardens flourishing everywhere, is a physical reminder of the ‘glory of Eden’, and the way He longs for us to walk with Him, a place where He want to show me how to live and be good soil. Because of His resurrection, we now are little temples of his Eden glory, (to use John Eldredge’s imagery)[4] which means you too can get away with Him and recover your life anywhere. The good soil is in you and me, walks with us and longs for us to experience Him wherever we are. But his challenge to us is to, “Get away with Him and recover your life”, and let His good soil, transform you into the ‘good soil’ for his Kingdom Glory.

I mean who doesn’t want to be good soil? Please know you are welcome to visit Hope’s View anytime, if it helps you on this journey of being the ‘good soil’.

[1] I john 1: 1-4 MSG

[2] Luke 9:10, Matthew 14:13, Mark 1:35, John 6:15, Mark 6:31

[3] Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

[4] Pause APP, Wild at heart, John Eldrege, www.wildatheart.org