This is our vision for the ministry of a place called
“The Lavender Pavilion”.
The Lavender Pavilion
is designed as a place for a brief personal retreat. This 1/3-acre garden
offers the opportunity to step away from the hectic pace of daily life and
experience some moments of serenity. While all are welcome, we have
specifically designed the garden with women in mind.
This quiet place is a work in progress. When fully
developed, it will offer a variety of plants and flowers, a few “themed” garden
areas and some water features, all surrounding a central prayer path
(labyrinth). There will be scattered benches for those who want to sit, read,
ponder, or pray. A covered shelter will provide the opportunity to enjoy the
garden during our many rainy months.
The garden is conveniently located on the Springfield/Eugene
border. As a result, women from throughout the area easily can stop by for a
moment, a few minutes, or for a more extended time of rest and reflection. Walk
the prayer path…read some Scripture…or enjoy the beauty of the flowers while
pondering the majesty of God. Moments such as these bring refreshment to our
souls and greater clarity to our lives.
The Lavender Pavilion is located on the historic farm
property of Bruce & Julie White. (Our home is one of the original
farmhouses built in this part of town and was constructed around 1905.) The
garden is being personally developed by us, with the assistance of a few
friends, as our gift to the community.
We are so excited to
see this vision slowly and steadily unfold. The vision has evolved since 2010,
but God is faithful and He is equipping us to keep pressing forward. We are learning that God does not care much about time,
so we do what we can…when we can…and we leave the details up to Him. We
are truly grateful to the family and friends who have supported us in various
ways to help develop this garden.
Once the garden
officially “opens” we hope to develop a simple website to highlight it’s
availability to the community. As we invite people to enjoy time at The
Lavender Pavilion, we probably will issue the following guidelines:
Since the garden is on
our private property, we ask all visitors to respect our privacy, as well as
the privacy of our neighbors. Limited parking is available adjacent to our
narrow, country lane. When you visit, please drive slowly and carefully. And
please limit your visits to daytime hours.
Our hope is to
complete the labyrinth this summer and then make the garden available as we
continue to develop it.
-
Julie & Bruce White
