Memaw, Jesus, & Gardening

I am still blown away!

Last week's blog had 1,900+ reads in a little over 24 hours!

What a confirmation. Isn't God the best?

So, I began praying this week over what I wanted to share with you and God led my heart to share one of my secret passions. Until now, very few people know how much I absolutely love the art of gardening! In fact, gardening just so happens to be one of my top five favorite things in the world!

My Memaw is one of the most sweet, precious, and wise people I have ever known. She loves turnip greens. She loves teacups. She loves opals. She loves I Love Lucy. She loves popcorn. She loves building things. She loves Jesus... and she loves to see His beauty in everything.

When I was little, Memaw used to take me "out back" to her greenhouse every day. We would spend hours going up and down the rows as she would teach me how take care of the flowers, herbs, and veggies. I learned what types of plants grew best in which soil, how far beneath the surface to place the seeds, how often different plants should be watered, and how to decide when a plant needed a bigger pot. (I promise I’m going somewhere with this!)

Every so often, when the weather and timing were just right, Memaw would announce at breakfast that it was officially planting day, my favorite! I would hurry and finish my gravy biscuit, grab my boots, and rush out the door to meet her in the greenhouse. We would begin by picking the perfect spot in the garden. Then, using many different tools, Memaw would begin tilling the soil. The old roots would begin breaking and snapping as she churned the soil, flipping it over and over until everything was loose and the new fertilizer was mixed in.

Next, we would create rows in the plot, organizing the exhausted soil to prepare it for the new crop. In each row, roughly one foot apart, Memaw would use her shovel to dig a small hole as I followed right behind her to drop in the seeds. Then, we would refill the holes with topsoil, water the seeds, and break for lunch.

Spiritually, we are so similar to the gardening process. When God begins moving things around to transition us to a new season of life, it can be quite uncomfortable. As the ever-observant gardener, God studies the atmosphere around us to decide when the timing is just right for His process to begin. And, if you haven’t figured it out yet, the process probably won’t look anything like what you expect.

I am with, and I will help you.

People will till your soil and

plant seeds in you.

Ezekiel 36:9

He begins by preparing our hearts and minds to be fertile soil. Ezekiel 36:9 says, “People will till your soil and plant seeds in you.” Just as we had to prepare our garden by tilling the soil, God will place people in your life to your soul. Personally, I have seen God do this time and time again. I can always tell that my season is about to change when the relationships around me begin to shift. Over time, some relationships become more difficult and painful, breaking you down into fragmentations of who you thought you were. Then, seed-planting relationships will begin to emerge and deposit encouragement, gifts, wisdom, and opportunities into your life.

Next, we are placed in a waiting phase. Most often, this is where I feel like I find myself. After the seeds have been planted in the ground, they are covered by a layer of topsoil and watered. You have received all the training you need., gone through thousands of hours of preparation, learned everything you can, and now, you are waiting under a layer of topsoil, drowning in waves of insecurity. It feels like God has forgotten you and no one even knows you exist. But, being hidden in obscurity is the best blessing you could ever ask for. For example, David was hidden in the fields before he was anointed king and Esther was hidden away as a Hebrew orphan before she became the queen who saved all of Israel.

God is promising to help you be all you dreamed and more, but you have to trust Him through the process. Spiritual gardening can be tough, yet it is worth every moment of pain in the end. Today, I want you to analyze your life and identify which phase of the process you are in. Then, write a prayer asking God to help you trust Him in the present and to give you a glimpse of His promise for your future.