Planting Time

(The original version appeared as a Margaret's Minute in the newsletter of New Creation Metropolitan Community Church in June, 2006.)

A few weeks ago, during a worship service, a line of scripture caught my eye. It contained the simple word "planted." I immediately thought about the garden being put in at my house. It's the first garden we've had in years, and the only reason we have it is because we had to have nearly an acre of land dug up so our septic system could be brought up to code. With all that turned over soil, it seemed like a sin not to make use of it!
So putting in the septic system made it possible to have a garden, and when the scripture talked about something being planted, I thought: "Sometimes, before you can plant anything new, you have to take care of the sh*t." I know, I know - not very reverent for a Sunday morning, huh? But even if the language wasn't reverent, the thought was theologically sound. If God is going to plant the law of love in your heart, or make a new covenant by implanting your spirit with newness, you better believe that the old cr*p needs to be dealt with!
The good news is, God's in the compost business. Septic systems are the Spirit's specialty! In one of the Psalms, God promises to throw our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west and never call them to mind again. To flush the pipes from my house, it takes one acre of land and I'm not sure how many linear feet of pipe. Praise God for all the extra distance put between me and my past faults and failures - my spiritual cr*p - and you and yours.
In the septic system, the pipes take many twists and turns and contain holes that allow fluid to seep out. The contractor tells us we should get stripes in the yard, because the grass right above the pipes will be better fertilized than the rest. Wouldn't it be wonderful if, along the way to the farthest reaches of the universe, my sins, failings and mistakes could be transformed into something useful, like some sort of fertilizer for my soul?
If it's laid out right, the septic system will be sure to fertilize the new growth rather than burn it or poison the soil. A soul that's done it's work right won't be poisoned by the past or by toxic relationships, either. That work is mostly about surrendering to God's presence - accepting God's forgiveness - letting God sort things out - letting go remove your sins as far as the east is from the west - letting God help heal the effects of other people's sins. And just like our new garden, God can then plant all sorts of new seeds in the soil of your heart, your life, and your spirit, which bring a bountiful blessing to you for years to come!