Old Order Mennonite Memoirs

The newest storybook in my house is for children. The metaphoric story was written by Jeremiah Pent of Tennessee last year. In it, an orphan boy looks for a place to call home. On his journey, he meets various people who each give him a metaphor for a good life.

Metaphoric stories are not new, in fact, they were one of Jesus’ ways to tell stories. An example, is the sower and the seeds he scatters. That helps us understand about preachers and the sermons they preach about God’s word to us, the listeners.

In this story, the orphan boy met an idle man playing cards. He said, “Life is a game.....”

He met a strong, young athlete who said, “Life is a race. It doesn’t last very long and it’s important to shed everything that weighs you down...........”

When he met an artist in the field, she said, “Life is a canvas we’re given at birth, and we all have the opportunity to make something beautiful out of what we’re given.”

The schoolmaster said, “Life is a test. We’re here to learn, to discover, and to have our character tested along the way to determine what kind of people we will be.”

“Life is much like a symphony,” said the music composer. “It can be beautiful when everyone works hard to play their part in harmony with everyone else..........”

The soldier said, “Life is a battle. You must always be on guard..............”

The traveler said, “Life is a journey........... No matter what happens, you must always keep moving forward.”

“Life is a story,” said the author, “that we have the privilege of writing along with our Author. Although we don’t get to choose the time, place, parents, or circumstances of our birth, we get to shape our own story based on what we decide to do with what we have.”

The farmer said, “Life is a garden. Its soil can bring forth both good and bad plants with equal opportunity for both to thrive......” I beg to differ about the two words: “equal opportunity.” Weeds take absolutely no effort at all to thrive but unless we apply vigilant diligence to our planted seeds in gardens and fields, there will be no good fruits.

But long before I ever knew that soil is cursed by God, the love of gardening was firmly established in my heart. I don’t recall learning that weed seeds in our garden are a part of the curse but I have fondest memories of working at my mother’s side in our garden. The slabs of moldy hay we put down between rows kept weeds from germinating and as a result of her vigilance with rain and sun from God, we harvested good fruits.

Even as I beg to differ with the author of the story on this one point, I also have more to say about this adage by Edward Robert Bulwer, Earl of Lytton. “We may live without poetry, music and art; we may live without conscience, and live without heart; we may live without friends; we may live without books; but civilized man cannot live without cooks.”

First of all, if there were no gardeners or farmers, a cook would have nothing to cook. If the cook has food to prepare, someone applied vigilant diligence to a plot (however great or small) of topsoil somewhere. Although cursed, it is the source of life on earth.

Next, if there were no art in the form of poetry or music, no friends or books, (especially God’s Word), no conscience or heart, man would no longer be civilized, even if there were cooks.

Gardening teaches us to work but also to depend on God. Gardening is an act of faith but also therapy for the soul. Gardening is the very essence of life but gardening is also an art.