Life Lessons from the Garden, Pt. 1

This is the first year I have ever attempted to grow a garden. My mom gardened when I was younger, and my sister, Shawnda, has gardened, but I never tried. Mainly because every time my mom left town and kept her plants in my keeping, she had to resuscitate them upon her return. Thus I dubbed myself the daughter with the black thumb and never tried except a plant here and there, many of which didn't survive. At least, I didn't think they survived.

To my shock and infinite delight, hope sprung anew within my heart when weeding outside, to discover that a peony plant and a raspberry bush I had planted several years ago in a rock bed had pushed themselves up and were now suddenly growing. Understand, I planted these about four years ago and had given up on them. I think I had even pulled the dead branches out of the ground around the raspberry bush.

Renée's resilient raspberry bush

This year in Denver, we have had much more rain than we usually get during springtime, early summer – days at a time. As a result, water saturated the soil around our home. Job 14:7-9 states,

"For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its tender shoots will not cease. Though its root may grow old in the earth, and its stump may die in the ground, yet at the scent of water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant."

Life is like that. We go through life dividing out a place, time, and energy for others, and sometimes we don't see anything manifesting. We assume that all we have planted and invested into them has died, and we walk away. But beneath the earth, through the miracle of creation, the roots of what you planted are growing stronger. They are acclimating to the climate and soil you put them in, until one day the rain comes, the Word of God saturates their hearts, and stems burst forth that were buried deep within their hearts. They have been beneath the surface, and now they are reaching toward the Son.

Let me encourage you, no matter your skill level, to garden. Cultivate the soil of people's hearts and plant a seed. You don't have to have a lot of them. One will do. Just remember, you can't see what is going on beneath the surface. Trust that the God who created the seed is also God of the process, and in due season He will bring the harvest. Just be faithful to keep planting!

Let's Pray:

Father, thank You that You are God of the seed, the process, and the harvest. Forgive me for the times I have tried to force things in my own life and others. Holy Spirit, please develop within me patience and show me where I need to plant to bring forth fruit that You desire. I choose to trust You in every area of my life and others to whom I have invested seed. In Jesus' Name, amen.