IN THE GARDEN OF MY HEART

          On several of our trips to Wisconsin, we were able to enjoy visits to Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison. Here there are 16 acres of all types of beautiful gardens.  Not only are these well maintained gardens very beautiful, but they are peaceful and relaxing.  I often wish that I could spend more time there walking, reflecting and talking to the Lord. Hymn writers have often used pictures, including gardens, to represent the spiritual lessons they want to share.  Some examples of that which I have shared in my blogs include "In The Garden", "The Beautiful Garden of Prayer" and "Thy Word is Like A Garden Lord". Haldor Lilenas (1885-1949), who wrote over 4,000 hymns, also chose a garden to picture our time of fellowship with the Lord.  He talks about times of sacred communion  with the Lord in the garden of our heart.  It can be a place and time of comfort and rest, shut away from the earth's strife.  But there is a problem with gardens.  At our house we have trouble with weeds that so easily grow in the midst of our flowers and if we don't work to eliminate and control them, the beauty of our gardens is lost.  And if we don't get enough rain or if we don't water them, they often shrivel and die.  It takes work to maintain beautiful gardens.  And the very same can be said about the garden of our heart. We need to work to avoid  and eliminate the "weeds".  And we need to spend time there in fellowship with the Lord.  We need to share with Him and listen to Him.  Do we forget to spend time in the Word?  Do we forget to take time with God and allow the garden of our heart to wither. Do we let negativity linger, allowing it to take root in our heart? Do we dwell on the rejection from a friend?  Are we allowing something to take root in this precious garden?  Think about this during the coming week.  May the garden of your heart be a place of sweet communion with the Lord.

1. There's a sacred and hallowed retreat,

Where my soul finds a fellowship sweet,

Where the Lord of my life I may meet,

In the garden of my heart.

In the cool of the day He walks with me,

In the rose bordered way He talks with me;

In love's holy union,

And sacred communion,

In the garden of my heart.

2. There is naught can disturb or molest,

There my spirit finds comfort and rest,

And my soul is no longer distressed

In the garden of my heart. 

In the cool of the day He walks with me,

In the rose bordered way He talks with me;

In love's holy union,

And sacred communion,

In the garden of my heart

3. Shut away from earth's strife and its din,

And protected from soul staining sin,

For my Savior is dwelling within,

In the garden of my heart. 

In the cool of the day He walks with me,

In the rose bordered way He talks with me;

In love's holy union,

And sacred communion,

In the garden of my heart

4. There the dove of sweet peace always sings,

And my faith ever trustingly clings;

And the chime of sweet happiness rings

In the garden of my heart.
In the cool of the day He walks with me,

In the rose bordered way He talks with me;

In love's holy union,

And sacred communion,

In the garden of my heart

Because this is not a very familiar hymn and because it is seldom sung today, it has been very hard to find a video of it. But  at least here is one that you can listen to.  LISTEN