gardening in glass

i visited the missouri botanical garden last week and saw the spectacular remnants of the chihuli glass exhibit that graced us a few years back. there is a beautiful piece (i want to say thing, but that's not appropriate) hanging in the entrance that spans two floors, blue and white pieces of blown glass, it was amazing. then in the climatron there were glass 'blooms' coming out of a pond - really beautiful.

today i spent time in my garden, where there is also a significant amount of glass. clayish missouri soil, gravel, weeds, and lots of broken glass. you can't just 'pick it up'. our property was vacant for somewhere between 12 and 20 years. we were told it was probably a crack house. the broken glass goes deep. each year the freezing and thawing process of the ground brings more to the surface.

we made some raised beds, and that helps, no glass in there. but still, much of our garden work here is done in the presence of pieces of broken glass.

we are redeeming the land. we are planting, watering, taking root and bearing fruit. at least, that is our intention. right now we're just planting, watering and hoping. in a few months, or a year, or two, or ten or twenty, our current blisters and sore backs will produce a crop of tomatoes, green beans, blueberries, beautiful lilac blossoms in the spring, kindness, patience, self control, discipline, healthy relationships, freedom and maybe even salvation.

in an unlikely place, in an unlikely season, in an unlikely way, unlikely people planting, watering, weeding, praying, hoping, longing, waiting.