Lesson Learned from my Garden

This year I planted a small garden. The people who had lived in the house before us had planted a large one last year so originally my husband tilled the whole space thinking we may do the same. But with everything I have going on right now I just wanted to start small so I used a smaller space on one end of the garden.

The rest of the garden regrew with grass and weeds.

The past few months I have been watering my plants pretty much every day and weeding as much as I can. It is has produced some vegetables but not very many yet. The growth has been slow but there are signs that more is on the way. I just keep doing all I know to do: fertilize, water, and weed.

Then yesterday I looked on the side of the garden that never was planted and realized there was a big plant in the middle of it that looked like a vegetable plant, not a weed.

So I walked over to it and pulled back the weeds and grass around it and there was a huge butternut squash plant with a butternut squash growing in the middle of it.

I couldn't believe it and it was kind of funny.

I didn't plant this plant. (I am assuming it came from last year's garden.) I haven't watered this plant. I have not weeded around this plant. My husband tilled the dirt where that plant's roots are and cut the grass on the side of the garden not very long ago.

But yet this plant not only grew back, it is bigger than the other plants I have been trying to take care of everyday.

It was kind of a spiritual lesson for me. I was reminded of 1 Corinthians 3:7-8, "⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. ⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own ^[a]reward according to his own labor. "

There are so many times in life I feel like I plant and water without seeing any fruit. I plant and water and pray and try to be faithful but then see no visible results. But God reminded me that He is the one that gives the increase.

In fact just like in my garden he doesn't need me at all. He doesn't need my efforts and my labors because ultimately everything comes from Him. And when something is His will it WILL happen. Sometimes without any human partnering at all. Just to remind us that it is all from him.

When I do labor, plant, and water and I DO see fruit, it still isn't because of me either. It too is only because God has moved.

But this passage also reminded me not to just give up or be lazy. It says that "each will receive a reward according to his own labor."

Just because there isn't fruit in this life doesn't mean there won't be treasure in heaven. God knows our heart and our motives and he wants us to press on not for our glory but for His. He wants me to reach out to people, share hope with them, and love them out of pure motives.

So like with my garden I pray that God will give discipline to keep on keeping on. Not out of duty but because I am abiding him Him and have Life in Him. And if I do get to see him use me --- well what an amazing joy and privilege that is!