Bill Beshears has been coping with pain, sometimes screaming pain, for many of the past 15 years since his retirement as a minister.

The pain got so bad he was forced to give up gardening, a hobby he has pursued since he had his first garden as a 7-year-old.

Beshears said he had come up with a numbering system for his pain.

He had taken to using a cane, calling that his number one level of pain. A walker would be used if the pain was worse. He’d stay in the chair alongside Felix, the black and white cat, at pain level 3. Staying home from church was number four and it was back to bed when the pain reached number five. After that? He didn’t want to think about it.

But Beshears has overcome health-related worries before, although he thought this had him beat. While training for the Peachtree Road Race 24 years ago, he was forced to undergo open heart surgery but was back into a running regime months after his recovery. The running and the surgery yielded a strong heart, but years later, pain would be his companion.

He and wife Grace bought their Evergreen Lane home in Winder a quarter-century ago and the 50x100 back yard garden has produced a bounty through the years. Those early years entailed much work to transform the compacted red clay into fine soil, enriched through the years with newspaper covered with mulch to hold moisture in and discourage weed growth which would be tilled into the soil after harvest.

"There is no richer soil in town than that," he said. Sharing the garden’s yield was a blessing.

Seven years ago he would work in the garden for five minutes and need to sit down for 15 minutes to allow his pain to subside and he gave up gardening five years ago after having only one row for that final garden.

In recent weeks, Beshears has newfound energy and spirit with only minimal pain now coming as a welcome sign that he is again active. He is now planning to again share the bounty of his garden in a different way.

After seeing doctor after doctor in a search for pain relief, he is now singing the praises of Dr. Richard Strother of Spine Care and Pain Management in Winder.

"He listened to me and he examined me and was able to give me the steroid shot in just the right place," said Beshears, who had been receiving steroid shots and other treatment from other physicians but to no avail. The day after his Dec. 3 visit with Dr. Strother, Beshears said he had found relief.

"This is my number one Christmas present," said Beshears, who will celebrate his 80th birthday next June.

"And I’ve got my husband back," said a grateful Grace Beshears.

"I’ve been working and organizing the shed to get ready," said Beshears. Putting in five to six hours of work a day is now a pleasure again.

"I’ve decided to start gardening again," said a smiling Beshears.

He is also inspired to open up his gardening opportunity to others after seeing a television program about so many people being without food, a necessity of life.

"I want to resurrect my garden," said Beshears. "I used to raise sweet potatoes and corn and so much more."

He has a vision to involve others in the harvest but also in the project.

"I want to provide vegetables for the food pantry for the Church of the Month to distribute," said Beshears, who is familiar with the Plant a Row effort which John Gladney, a fellow church member, is heavily involved with. He said he had talked with Gladney about partnering but that didn’t materialize as the Plant a Row project is established at Raymond Butler’s Double Bridges Farm near Statham.

Beshears said he wants his centrally-located garden spot to be a place where volunteers can help plan, cultivate, hoe, harvest and share the bounty.

"Once the word gets out, I am hoping we’ll have volunteers to help," said Beshears, who is already looking to tune up his 25-year-old tiller to get a first-plow effort under way. He welcomes volunteers with tillers to assist.

"They can call to get on board," said Beshears. By March, he wants to have a plan in place and volunteers organized to get to work. "I want them to be involved in the plant selections."

Donations of seeds, plants and other needed materials would also be welcome.

If his pain returns, Beshears said he hopeful the volunteers would continue with the community project. "I hope we’ll be organized enough that the volunteers can press on," he said. He and Grace have two overseeing chairs near the garden if needed.

For information about the plans for the community garden spot or to volunteer to be involved, contact Bill Beshears at (770) 867-0021.