Rocks in a garden

One of the important sights in any garden is its rock collection. For someone interested in geology, the stones represent the history of age, content, the distance it may have travelled in the river or the years spent buried under the earth. Listening to him fascinated me. 

It is from the rock we receive blue metal, sand, stones, granite, tiles, etc. It is the pre-cursor for many applications in our daily living.

One of the recent applications in many gardens to make rock gardens and cultivate plants, which thrive well in rocky surfaces.

What continues to fascinate me is the history Rocks represent. When we read inscription in a museum the approximate age of the stone, some times in thousands of years, it is awe inspiring. We have before our eyes something that has survived thousands of years, by withstanding all the fury of nature.  What is in a stone,  that lets it happen! 

It is in its  chemistry. Its composition has the capacity to survive against all odds. 

I hear stories of intense stress almost daily from families whom I meet with in my work. They suffer from being battered by many odds and feel heavy of heart. It is only in the recent times, I hear an appalling disinterest to persevere against the odds. Life is offering greater challenges than some people can cope. They need an inner strength; they need an inner spirit that can revive hope; they need to find a meaning for their lives amidst the chaos and disorder.

As humans we are endowed to be resourceful in all circumstances. We have been given charge to 'live and multiply'. Instead, life has become a burden for many. A senior professor told me today, that the only way to suppress the struggles of daily living is to resort to transient amnesia by consuming alcohol.

Let me suggest another way. The rock garden is formed by filling the in between surfaces with soil. The soil in the environment of the rock allows the rock garden to survive. It is only in the setting of relationships, friendships, and camaraderie humans can survive the odds they face in their daily life. Jesus of Nazareth said, 'Come to me all those who are heavy of heart, I will give you rest'. We are accompanied by God of human history, whose watchful eyes are upon His creation. If rock is strong, how great is the strength of the ONE who gives it strength! Our well lived lives ought to convey the strength of the One who is forming or lives.

M.C.Mathew (text an photo)