A garden is a lovely picture of faith and works. The gardener pulls on the gloves and tugs the weeds, creates the spaces, designs and builds the decks and the walls. The gardener chooses and plants the plants and feeds and waters. But life and fruitfulness come from the Lord. As the gardener works, the mind dreams and hopes and anticipates the vege harvest. But without the days of sun and rain and the worms turning and munching beneath the earth, little will come of these dreams. Then, on a warm and scented day, the gardener goes out and sees the trees bursting with new buds and flowers promising to unfold in the light of the day. Birds visit and enjoy and are enjoyed as living works of art. Creation never ceasing, repeats its joy at the turning seasons. And the gardener feasts the eye upon the miracle. The fruit of work is met by the fulfilled promise of faith. Work as if tomorrow will be a riot of miraculous change. Prayer is our work sometimes. When life is just too difficult. When sometimes it is hard to motivate to rise from bed and start into another day. Prayer can be an effort. But it is an effort of no less benefit than weeding and planting. We weed the earthly thoughts that tempt us to go under and join the worms of self-pity or doom! We plant praise and thankfulness and hope by acknowledging God and his miracle power. And we are never disappointed. God's life is working despite our despair, fear or even lack of trust. His morning of joy comes after a night of tears.