The Perfect Garden - Take Two...or Three

I love to garden!  Whether it's planting and tending my herb garden, planting in the raised beds, or filling up our large garden, it always excites me.  For the last two years I took the time to plan out the exact garden we wanted on graph paper. I  measured out each crop into needed space leaving enough room for the rototiller to come through between sections.  I made sure companion crops would be planted near one another so we could have the best possible outcome.  All of the seeds were purchased and organic fertilizer had been ordered and was ready to use. 

Summer of 2023 arrived.  We were able to plant everything according to plan.  All the raised beds were full.  Trays of herbs were growing and would soon be added to the herb garden.  The large garden had been tilled up by Tim and time was taken to measure out each section before all of the seeds went in.  Sweet corn, tomatoes, squash, different types of melons and beans all filled the large garden.  The raised beds were now full of potatoes, many types of greens, and vining plants that would soon be growing up the arched cattle panels.  Everything was growing beautifully and I was keeping up with the weeds.

Then life hit.  My aunt Sandy, whose health had been slowly declining, came to the point where hospice was involved and from all that doctors could tell, she would be meeting Jesus face to face before the summer was over.  Aunt Sandy had never married. Somewhere along the line she had made me medical power of attorney so I was involved in various decisions as the days passed.  I had the privilege of spending most days with my aunt during that time. She had slowly been losing her ability to talk so eventually it meant a lot of me talking, praying, and reading the Word to her.  Then as she slipped into the point of sleeping most of the time I added a lot of singing to our time together.  Eventually the Lord took her home.

Those days are now just precious memories to me.  I was blessed to have those times with her.  Having said that, we all know what happens to a garden that has not been tended.  By the time the end of the summer came, someone could have played hide and seek in the big garden.  The weeds were thick and over my head.  I didn't know weed stalks could get so big around!  Some were like very small trees.  What a mess it had become.  We harvested some of the vegetables but many of the crops were either missed or choked out by weeds.  The herb garden wasn't much better as the weeds grew higher than the herbs. I missed harvesting much of it. 

Bring on summer of 2024.  I was so excited.  This was the year of a perfect garden.  I planned everything out once again.  The seeds and fertilizer were just waiting.  All the raised beds were cleaned out and ready to go.  Tim tilled up the large garden.  In early spring I started all kinds of herbs, vegetables, and flowers inside.  When things warmed up enough peas and potatoes went in to the raised bed area.  Eventually peppers got added to the beds.  Tomatoes flats were now growing outside along with the rest of the herbs and flower trays. 

Then it happened.  God drew us into a life situation with a friend where critical actions were needed immediately.  Suddenly my days were filled with meeting important deadlines and making sure our friend was exactly where she needed to be at the right times.  After several weeks it was clear that the summer would be filled with much of the same.  We planted the tomatoes but made the hard decision to put off plant anything more.  No seeds went into the ground.  The rest of the plants continued to grow in the flats.  Eventually most everything died as the roots got too big for the trays.  It wasn't a purposeful neglect, the time just wasn't available.  Weeds slowly started growing in the large garden once again. 

Two years.  Beautiful goals and dreams were no more.  To those driving past I'm sure we seemed incredibly neglectful.  We were able to harvest a few veggies and some herbs the second year which I am grateful for but it certainly wasn't what I had envisioned and hoped for. 

As I was thinking about it, I realized I could have held tight to my hopes and my dreams for both summers.  I could have stayed on course, insisting that I keep moving forward with my plans.  I could have insisted that other people could step in and take care of my aunt and I could have watched my friend's needs from afar wishing her well and telling her I would pray.  Imagine the bounty I could have canned, dehydrated, and frozen for my family.  And how amazing would it have been to drive up and see a perfectly manicured yard and garden overflowing with beautiful flowers, vegetables, and herbs

But that is not what God was asking of me.  God was asking me to hold my plans loosely and be willing to drop everything to do what He needed me to do.  I could have argued that I needed to go forward with plans because my family needed that food or that I wouldn't want the work I had already done to go to waste.  But there was no reason to argue.  God knew He needed me somewhere else both summers.  He owns it all and He is our provider.  He will take care of us in the way He always has.  

Instead of bounty and perfection in the yard and garden I have precious memories of time with my aunt that can never be replaced and she was shown tender love until her last breath.  Not just that but I was able to share the gospel with several workers at the nursing home during that time. Then the second summer God worked in amazing ways for our friend so that lives were protected and are now living in safety where they can grow and mature in Christ.  These spiritual matters far outweigh anything temporal that could have come from my original plans. 

Friend, plans, hopes, and goals are a good thing.  God loves for us to be wise and to do things decently and in order while asking Him to guide us.  He also wants us to be willing to hold on to those plans loosely.  He wants our hands to be open, not clenching on tight to what we want.  He wants us to be willing to drop everything to do what He asks of us even if it means it is great personal sacrifice. 

Are you willing?  Are you waiting on God?  Are you holding loosely to your plans and desires?  Are you asking God to guide you and use you?  Are you willing to lay down your desires and hopes to do all that He asks of you?  I pray that each of our hearts will be willing to pray, "Not my will but yours be done, Lord."

Winter is coming.  Once again I will pull out the graph paper and plan the gardens for next summer.  Maybe it will finally be the year of the perfect garden.  I don't know what next year will bring but I pray that my hands will be open, my heart will be willing, and my feet will be quick to act if God asks me to do something different.  

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:16-18

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.John 15:12-13

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24