Lessons From My Garden

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:6 KJV

​It is one of my favorite times of the year, spring garden season. My grandpa had a garden when I was growing up and I have always loved the idea of having one myself. When we were newlyweds I attempted container gardening but never had good results. Then the 2020 shutdown happened. I was one of those bored out of their mind people who tried gardening. My husband built me a cute raised garden bed in our front yard. He bought good soil and let me get to planting. I had no clue what I was doing. Most of my seeds came from the free seed libraries. My friends and I had so much fun texting and sending pictures, especially since we couldn't meet up. I actually ended up with a beautiful, fruitful garden.

God has taught me a lot through my gardens. Sometimes it is the actual garden that illustrates something to me, other times it is in the stillness of the garden that I can slow down and hear Him.

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Last year my garden turned out horrible. It was a rough spring and summer for my family. In the spring I was dealing with unexplained tachycardia and then in the summer I succumbed to three bulging discs in my lower back. I had gotten my seeds planted but due to my back I couldn't take care of it. I missed being able to have my hands in the soil and tend my plants. Even through the failing of my garden God taught me something. My garden has to be tended. I have to pull weeds. I have to prune branches. I have to water and fertilize the soil. Just the same, my spiritual garden needs to be tended. I can’t just let the seeds fall and expect a harvest. I have to pull out the weeds of doubt, fear and lies. I have to water it with time in prayer and meditation. I have to fertilize it by studying the Bible. 

​He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain [persons] shall have poverty enough. - Proverbs 28:19 KJV

This year my garden is bigger and better than ever. God is doing a work in my body and I am working in my garden. I have already had a large crop of volunteer lettuce come up from plants I neglected last year. It was such a joy to see seeds that had fallen in neglect sprout up. I dug up those little seedlings and separated them out to give them room to grow. I have had so much lettuce that I am giving it away. I tended those plants and cared for them. Now it is at the end of their season. Some are starting to flower and will go to seed soon. This year I am intentionally letting these seeds fall. God can even work in spite of our neglect. I was amazed with the little lettuce springing up, but if I had just left the lettuce alone I would have had a small crop. Because I took some time to tend them, separate and regularly harvest them I had a large bountiful crop. What have you neglected in your spiritual garden? Do you see the seed peeking up? What would flourish in your spiritual garden if you would just tend it? God is giving you a second chance at a bountiful harvest.

And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. - Exodus 18:17-18 KJV

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This year I am focusing on spacing all of the plants properly to maximize the area in my garden beds. The first bed I had was not planned. I honestly didn’t think anything would come up, but it did and the bed was overflowing. As the plants got bigger they started crowding each other. They were good plants and were producing some fruit, but there wasn’t good airflow between the plants and some started rotting.I had a dear friend tell me I needed to pull some of my plants up so the others could produce more. It was hard. In my mind they were producing. How could I possibly pull up good plants? I realized though if I left them all of the plants would eventually rot and stop producing. If I pulled up a couple the others would produce more. How many times have we over committed our spiritual garden? I know I have fallen prey to the thought that because I had the capability to do something God must have wanted me to commit to it. In the end though I was so overcommitted that nothing in my life flourished. Sometimes we need to pull a few things out of our spiritual garden. What is suffering because you over committed? What would blossom if you just had a few less commitments crowding for space?

​Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. - Proverbs 27:17 KJV

Another thing I have been focusing on in my garden this year is companion planting. Companion planting is when you purposefully plant plants next to each other that work together. Some plants work well together while others don’t like each other. In previous years I planted my tomatoes and peppers in the same bed. I always noticed that the peppers didn’t produce well until after my tomatoes were done for the season. After research I found out they don’t do well next to each other. Tomatoes like marigolds and basil. Pest that like to eat tomatoes don’t like marigolds and basil. So guess what is planted together this year. Tomatoes, marigolds and basil. I have also planted my cucumbers with pole beans this year. They will grow next to each other on the same trellis. Beans add much needed nitrogen to the soil for the cucumbers. What companions are you letting into your spiritual garden? Are your companions hindering your growth in God or are they adding to the richness of the soil? Are they protecting you from things that would eat at your spirit or are they inviting them into your garden? 

I don’t know what it is, but there is something so calming and satisfying when I am in the garden. It is work, but it is work that feeds my soul. I don’t know if it is the little tasks that make me feel accomplished or just getting my hands dirty. Maybe it is the accomplishment of a harvest. I do know one thing, in the stillness of the garden God teaches me lessons. He speaks to my heart. He grows my spirit. What lessons have you learned in your garden?

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