LESSONS FROM MY GARDEN
As I sit here thinking and clearing my mind so that I can have a productive
remainder of the day, God began to remind of when I first planted my tomato
plant. It was tiny, maybe 3-4 inches tall. I'm not familiar with planting and
farming, so I of course solicited the help of a friend, who is knowledgeable of
all things dealing with the earth. That's the first thing, I recognized my short
comings and sought help in someone who has proven to know more than me about
this subject. He explained to me that I needed a large pot and an even larger
cage. In my mind I didn't understand why such a large pot and cage were
necessary. All I knew is what I saw before me, a 4 inch green plant. Even though
I could see it producing fruit in the future, I really couldn't fathom the
details or the extent of its potential with my mind's eye. I needed someone who
had seen the process from beginning to end, to help direct me during my
preparation.
That is truly how God operates in our lives. He has seen the process from the
beginning and already knows the end results. He simply gives us small glimpses
into the first step into our destiny. Sometimes it is difficult to imagine
everything that will be produced from that tiny thought, dream, or idea that is
within us. That's why we must seek assistance from the one who has already
been there, the one that can guide us and help us maximize the results. What
happens if we don't? Well, we can do the trial and error route, hope for the
best, but risk never getting the full result, or worse giving up out of
frustration.
As I move forward in life, I am realizing more and more that there is so much
that I don't know. This is an awfully difficult for someone who loves to be in
control and leading things. At moments I get glimpses of the greatness that
could be, but other times I just can't see how it will all come together.
However, I am reminded of the importance of seeking Him first and walking not
just by faith, but in faith. By allowing Him to dictate my steps, I know that
they are being ordered. By walking in faith, He will show me things through His
eyes, and not through my own. Therefore, when things happen that I don't
understand, I don't have to try to justify them, but I can stand tall and not
worry, because I see that they are all working together for my good.
The other important lesson that my garden is teaching me is patience. It does
not matter how much sun, water, fertilizer, etc I can't make the fruit grow any
faster. It is possible to slow down progress... if you don't water it, if you
don't keep it in sunlight, if you don't prune it, but there is really no way
that you can force the fruit to come any faster. If you remove a fruit before
it's time it is simply lost and wasted. So often as we are on our journey we
want an immediate response, immediate rewards, or our immediate inheritance, but
God is calling for us to be patient. We must allow ourselves to grow mentally
and spiritually, or we will end up like the un-ripe fruit removed from the vine
too early. It has no purpose... it had potential, but ends up purposeless and
cast aside.
The moral of these ramblings is to 1) seek God first in all things, 2) trust God in
all things, and finally 3) have patience in the midst of preparation, because it
will help you to help you to reach your potential and live a life that is full
purpose.
remainder of the day, God began to remind of when I first planted my tomato
plant. It was tiny, maybe 3-4 inches tall. I'm not familiar with planting and
farming, so I of course solicited the help of a friend, who is knowledgeable of
all things dealing with the earth. That's the first thing, I recognized my short
comings and sought help in someone who has proven to know more than me about
this subject. He explained to me that I needed a large pot and an even larger
cage. In my mind I didn't understand why such a large pot and cage were
necessary. All I knew is what I saw before me, a 4 inch green plant. Even though
I could see it producing fruit in the future, I really couldn't fathom the
details or the extent of its potential with my mind's eye. I needed someone who
had seen the process from beginning to end, to help direct me during my
preparation.
That is truly how God operates in our lives. He has seen the process from the
beginning and already knows the end results. He simply gives us small glimpses
into the first step into our destiny. Sometimes it is difficult to imagine
everything that will be produced from that tiny thought, dream, or idea that is
within us. That's why we must seek assistance from the one who has already
been there, the one that can guide us and help us maximize the results. What
happens if we don't? Well, we can do the trial and error route, hope for the
best, but risk never getting the full result, or worse giving up out of
frustration.
As I move forward in life, I am realizing more and more that there is so much
that I don't know. This is an awfully difficult for someone who loves to be in
control and leading things. At moments I get glimpses of the greatness that
could be, but other times I just can't see how it will all come together.
However, I am reminded of the importance of seeking Him first and walking not
just by faith, but in faith. By allowing Him to dictate my steps, I know that
they are being ordered. By walking in faith, He will show me things through His
eyes, and not through my own. Therefore, when things happen that I don't
understand, I don't have to try to justify them, but I can stand tall and not
worry, because I see that they are all working together for my good.
The other important lesson that my garden is teaching me is patience. It does
not matter how much sun, water, fertilizer, etc I can't make the fruit grow any
faster. It is possible to slow down progress... if you don't water it, if you
don't keep it in sunlight, if you don't prune it, but there is really no way
that you can force the fruit to come any faster. If you remove a fruit before
it's time it is simply lost and wasted. So often as we are on our journey we
want an immediate response, immediate rewards, or our immediate inheritance, but
God is calling for us to be patient. We must allow ourselves to grow mentally
and spiritually, or we will end up like the un-ripe fruit removed from the vine
too early. It has no purpose... it had potential, but ends up purposeless and
cast aside.
The moral of these ramblings is to 1) seek God first in all things, 2) trust God in
all things, and finally 3) have patience in the midst of preparation, because it
will help you to help you to reach your potential and live a life that is full
purpose.