The Level In the Garden

“A position on a real or imaginary scale of amount, quantity, extent, or quality.”

- Encyclopedia.com definition of level

In a very special garden I visited unexpectedly, I found a "level" attached to a board.  In the springtime the garden is full of beautiful pink peonies and I wondered why anyone would level such a beautiful garden.  I also noticed that the trumpet vine that had not bloomed in a long time had been cleared from the arbor.  Two years ago my friend and I talked about planting a garden in this spot, and I wondered if he was beginning to replant the garden.  I remember originally thinking the garden was too small for me.  But when I visited I was overcome by a sense of beauty and the peace of the property.  Although it was a hot day, the air felt cool as I sat in a swing under huge beautiful trees on farm property settled over a hundred years ago.

"Level" means many things depending on the context.  In engineering it means to measure true horizontal or relative heights.  In mathematics it means where a function takes on a given constant value.   In linguistics it means descriptions of abilities to communicate in a language.  In game playing it is a measurement of character development. It also means to level the playing field to give someone a fighting chance.  In computers it refers to algorithms used to determine positions.   Often level refers to a physical accomplishment or skill.

I had envisioned this special Garden as a symbol of the metaphysical manifested as God's love.  But God's Garden is not a level in a game.  Too many people, including me, often think of life as a game where we strategize based on levels.  This is what gets us in trouble.  We can look at situations in more than one perspective based on symbols, but there is only one truth.  

We need to look to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as documented in God's Word as the source of light and direction.  Not a man made strategy, which is never eternal.  As I move forward with my life, the level on this board in my special Garden will always remind me of this lesson.