Article September 21, 1974 Issue

SALLY'S GARDEN

Isobel Anne Anable

Sally had a bright red wheelbarrow. Mostly she used it in the fall when she helped Daddy rake the leaves in the garden and cart them out to the woods. Daddy's wheelbarrow was much bigger than Sally's and could hold more leaves, but it wasn't nearly such a bright color.

For Sally and her little sister Lisa, the best part of raking the leaves was jumping into the big piles before they were carried away in the wheelbarrows.

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One sunny morning the sky was clear and blue, and the leaves of the trees all around their small New England town were copper, gold, and red. Sally and Lisa were taking turns running down the garden to a large pile of leaves and jumping into the middle. How the dry leaves crackled and scrunched beneath them!

As Sally sat in the middle of the leaves, she suddenly felt awful. She thought her tummy hurt, and she wanted to cry. Slowly she stood up and went into the house. She called out to her mother. Her mother came and lifted Sally onto her knee and dried her tears. They sat quietly for a few moments.

When Sally and Lisa were unhappy, they often sang hymns they had learned from the Christian Science Hymnal. Sally asked her mother now to sing a hymn. The one Mother chose was one of Sally's favorites. It's No. 3, and the first verse is:

A grateful heart a garden is,
Where there is always room
For every lovely, Godlike grace
To come to perfect bloom.

Sally knew that having a grateful heart means feeling very thankful for everything good that comes to us from God, our Father-Mother. Christ Jesus thanked God even before his prayer for his friend Lazarus was answered. Sally knew that the good things God is always giving His children include health—feeling well and happy. There is no room in the garden of a grateful heart for weeds of fear or sickness. Like all weeds, these have to be pulled out.

The Bible tells us, "God is love." I John 4:8. Because He is Love, He does not let His children be scared or sick. When we give thanks for the wonderful truth that God is every where, loving and caring for all His children, we destroy the weeds called fear and sickness. Then we see ourselves and each other as we really are—well and free, happy, joyous, and strong. These are the flowers that grow in the garden of a grateful heart!

After the hymn was over, Sally sat a few moments more and felt very sure that God loved her. Nothing was hurting. Then she heard Lisa calling her from the garden. She hugged her mother and ran off to race Lisa down the garden to that big pile of leaves!

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