Lessons from a Garden

Each year, for the last four years, I have planted a vegetable garden. Each year it seems to get a little bit bigger and a little bit more diverse. And each year God uses my garden to feed not only my body, but also my mind and spirit. As I spend hours a week in my garden - checking my plants, pulling weeds, harvesting vegetables -there is lots of time to think, process and pray, even though I always have one ear and the frequent eye on the children to make sure they're doing what they should be doing.

As I work, I'm reminded of many past lessons and occasionally receive new lessons. It has been quite amazing to me to see all that God can do in me while performing the simple tasks of gardening. The first, and not least, of which is the fact that I am gardening at all.

Growing up my mom had a garden. No, not just a garden, she had a yard full of vegetables. We lived on two and a half acres, and the garden took up at least half an acre. And I hated it. I didn't want to spend my precious hours pulling weeds and picking vegetables. I had more important things to do, like call my friends, listen to the latest top 40 hits, and sunbathe. But even though I hated the work of the garden, I loved the produce from it. Our favorite dinners growing up were when my dad wasn't going to be home to eat, because we would have a fresh-out-of-the-garden dinner (you know how men are about meat and potatoes.) And it's that love of fresh veggies that God instilled in me early that brought me to planting my own garden and opening myself up for Him to work in me through it time and time again.