In the Garden

We purchased a new home roughly 10 months ago and already knew that once the spring came around we were going to plant a garden.  I wanted something unrealistically large for what we could handle.  We may live in the country but we do not live on a farm.  My husband consistently reminded me of the daily work that would be required for garden upkeep and I may have remained slightly stubborn about our large garden.   In the end while we tried to map out the size of our garden, in the side of our yard, and on a slight hill ... we decided it would be easier and less stressful with each other to simply lay out our tarp and make the garden that size.  And thats what we did. Completely scientific and absolutely using all those math skills I perfected over the years.  Its the perfect size for us.   I, surprising to myself, have greatly enjoyed the garden work.  I dug up half and Joe dug half and I tilled the entire thing myself.  I was determined maybe to prove to myself that I could do it.  I have found that I enjoy working in the garden and weeding and find it a time to really zone out.  Its relaxing to me, slows me down and it slows my mind down to really take in life for a moment.

Today I weeded the Garden.

Today I weeded the Garden and God met me there.  He met me there and weeded my heart, and I realize that this is why I love being in the garden so much.  It is a time where I am slow enough to enjoy the beauty of His creations.  A time to focus in on what is really important in life and a time to purge the things that are not.  Isn't that such a beautiful thing about God?  That He meets us right where we are?!  We just need to slow down enough and back away from distractions to see it.  Maybe all along thats what has kept me going back to the garden, working hard until my fingers hurt,  and today I realized what that was. Excitingly enough we just purchased a bunch of seeds for fall planting... Looks like God and I will be meeting in the garden a bunch in the months to come!  Wonder what things He will share with me while tending to beets and collards...


"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 4:29