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There is something inviting about a garden tucked away behind a wall, hidden off the beaten path. Perhaps a small gate opens onto a path, with flowers and shrubs growing along its edges and a bench beneath a tree. It’s a place that welcomes you and invites you to enter and linger for a little while.
“A garden enclosed
Is my sister, my spouse,
A spring shut up,
A fountain sealed.”
(Song of Solomon 4:12, NKJV)
A Garden Treasured and Protected
In Song of Songs 4:12, the beloved is described as an enclosed garden, a fountain sealed. This image from Scripture invites us to consider something precious, cared for, and set apart. As we reflect on our own relationship with God, we might imagine the Garden of our Heart in this way.
In the previous posts, we explored the heart as a place of communion with God. The Catechism describes it as our hidden center, the place of truth, decision, and encounter with Him (#2563). Here we carry our love, desires, hopes, fears, doubts, and hurts.
What would it look like for us to share all of this with the Lord?
What would it look like for us to share all of this with the Lord?
Known Within the Garden
Like most of us, there are parts of my life that few people know about. I tend to carry hopes hidden in the recess of my heart that have never been spoken aloud, questions I sometimes feel aren’t allowed to be voiced, disappointments I find difficult to explain, and feelings I cannot yet articulate. Sometimes I don’t share these things because I am afraid of being misunderstood or judged, or I don’t want to be embarrassed. Sometimes, I haven’t really understood what’s inside my heart. Perhaps you can relate to this too.
We can bring all these things into our conversations with the Lord.
Some may find it easier to pray for someone else or thank God for a blessing, yet we often hesitate to tell Him that we feel disappointed, jealous, lonely, afraid, or uncertain. We might wonder whether we should feel that way at all. So we come up with the “safe prayer” that we believe we should pray, while our authentic self remains hidden.
Friendship with God
All friendships grow and deepen as we learn to share more of who we are. In the Garden of our Heart, we can begin to speak honestly with God. We might tell Him, “I’m grateful, but I’m also struggling,” or “I want to trust You, but I don’t understand what is happening,” or “this is just hard.”
The Lord already knows. Yet, by choosing to share it with Him, we grow in friendship. We allow ourselves to be known and learn to remain in His presence without having everything sorted out. This is open dialogue, honesty, and intimacy between friends.
We can think of the garden enclosure as space for this tender meeting. We can take our time in prayer, revisit conversations, journal, and gradually, the words for what has been difficult to express will surface. What we bring to the Lord, He will always receive, and He will hold us in His heart.
What is on your heart today that you haven’t spoken to Him about yet?
Prayer
Lord, I find some things difficult to share, even with You. Help me find words for what is happening within me. I bring You my questions, my desires, my emotions, and the parts of my life that feel messy and unfinished. Teach me to speak honestly and to listen. Let our friendship deepen as I walk with You in the Garden of my Heart. Amen.
