Garden Lessons

gardenAs I sit here on this beautiful Saturday morning, I am feeling very reflective. Holding my comforting warm cup of coffee as the sunlight streams in through the windows, I realize it is the little things that make this life so wonderful. How often do we miss those little things as we get swept up in the business of life? I am so grateful for this much-needed relaxation filled day.

Since moving to our new house, I have been starting my day by heading out to water my now much larger garden. Gardening has been such an amazing experience; it is hard to put it into words. It has taught me so much about who God is and how he works. I just wanted to share a few of those lessons.

1) I so often limit myself by believing I can’t do things.
I NEVER thought I could EVER grow anything, but God is showing me how much I limit myself. With a little education, some hard work, more faith than I realized, and a lot of grace, things are actually growing. How many other times have I missed out on what God wants to do in my life because I thought I couldn’t do it?

2) It is not about the end product, it is about the process.
I tell other people this all the time, but God is giving me a hands on lesson in process 101. For the first time in my life, I think I am actually learning how to enjoy the process, and not worry about the results. For me to get anything to even sprout is a miracle and major progress from where I started. Every new little change has been an exciting moment of praise. I wish I lived with more excitement about the little things.

3) Growth takes time and that time can be beautiful.
I am seeing how the plants need to time to grow the structure to support the fruit they will eventually produce. How often do I hurry through the structure building stages of my life, and just want God to get me to the “fruitful times.” I am seeing how vital those structure building times really are.

4) God is the only one who can truly make things grow
We can learn, and plan, and work as much as possible but it is ultimately God who is in control of the natural processes that make growth occur. This is true in the garden and in life. Being connected to him is the source of true growth, and he is still good in times of abundance and times of drought. He is always at work, even when it really doesn’t seem like it.

Even if all my plants died today, and I never got a single fruit or vegetable, these things would still be true. I am realizing that this garden is so much less about producing organic produce, and so much more about God calling me to himself in unexpected ways. For that, I am so grateful.

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