This is my first year successfully growing summer veggies. I planted tomatoes and I have eaten tomatoes; the same goes for cucumbers, banana peppers, jalapenos, and bell peppers. That’s my definition of success, but let me be clear, I plan to be more successful next year. There are so many things I didn’t plan for or expect, and I have watched large plants give me just a little fruit.
The soil isn’t quite right in this bed, and the shade is too liberal in another. I didn’t know to plant the basil with the tomatoes so there they stand on opposite sides of the garden. I thought I had bush cucumbers, so I planted them in a triage and then when they got too tall, I used a tomato cage. Wrong call. They ended up growing in a tangle locked into place by the cages and up a trellis 8 feet tall. It was a mess.
I can’t believe how many gardening tips are in the Bible. Pruning, soil quality, plowing, sowing, harvesting, and weed control. I have been watching the parables of our Savior in slow motion this summer. I clear the sticks and rocks out of a new area and think of Him scattering Kingdom of Heaven seeds, I plant a bean beneath the surface, and a few days later, without my help or understanding little leaves break the surface and I think of Mark 4:27. I fertilize the ground, and I watch the weeds flourish just like the cultivated plants and think, wow, there really are tares with the wheat.
I love the way God has woven nature and spirit together. Many times, I may think of them as separate, but He knows better. His plan is perfect, and things bloom at the right time in the right way. He teaches me to garden better in the physical and the spiritual. I take extra care of a droopy plant then text a friend and pray for them. I cut off branches that are stealing energy from tomatoes then God prunes me, and I cringe but learn to rejoice now that I understand better. Too long without water, some plants die, but then there is a little hardship, and some plants get all the sweeter.
The fall garden is growing and I’m learning which varieties of lettuce survive the fall pests and how to plant them with herbs and radishes. I see the variety bringing health and protection and see the variety in my church, family, and friends. Alone, the tiny carrot sprouts are eaten but with a ring of onions, they do just fine. Alone, I struggle with my weaknesses but surrounded by godly women and men I start to grow.
When I shared my growing obsession with gardening with a friend recently, she said, “It’s almost as if we are made to live in a garden.” It made me laugh and it made me think hard about this fantastic God who chooses the best things for us and leads us into growing, building, creating, and enjoying the fruits of our labor in every area both physical and spiritual. He knows me well and when we moved into a new house a couple of years ago, He made sure there were a few raised beds waiting for me. He draws me near and teaches me in every situation.
If you aren’t into gardening, I bet there is an area in the natural world that God uses to teach you. Maybe it’s a relationship, a business, art, music, dance, movies. Mountains, rivers, oceans, children, grandparents, or animals. He draws us into the spiritual with the physical and teaches us at each moment of the day. He’s God! He started all this, and He will finish it.
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