What gardening has to do with knowing Jesus.

It’s gardening time! Don’t let the random late winter fool you. 

I don’t know if I’ve said this before but I’m sure to say it again: Gardening is a spiritual experience! 

Once the nasty white stuff melted away today, I enjoyed some quiet time managing the wild raspberry bushes and ridiculous mint. (A couple of “oops”es that we are still paying for!) As I raked smooth the soil, I was struck by the beauty of the blackness, the richness of it. It is a stark contrast to what it was 5 years ago. But it did not go from a light brown, dry soil to a deep, dark soil that’s hard to keep my hands out of all on its own. It took effort. Lots of effort. Lots of studying. Lots of worrying (okay, only I did that part). LOTS of patience.

3 years ago we decided to forgo the tilling route and attempt the wood chip route. We made mistakes- the biggest one being putting way to much wood chips on. The following year we weren’t sure anything was going to survive, and many things didn’t. Other things didn’t flourish the way we would have liked. But there was still harvest, and we kept plugging away. 

Last year we were abundantly blessed with much harvest! There were sections that still hadn’t composted down well enough yet but there was a significant improvement. Our patience was paying off.

Today, our soil looks like this:

Black gold.

Some kale and spinach has sprouted up from last year and the snow from last night didn’t even phase it. Must be some delicious soil for these beautiful greens to not only survive the winter in dormancy, but survive the freak snow storm in April.

So let’s head on back to the actual point of this post: Gardening is a spiritual experience! 

While I raked this black soil back into place, it struck me how much it is like our spiritual lives. 

"Read your bible, pray every day and you'll grow, grow, grow!"

Spending time in prayer and in the Word are not just good, Christian things to do, they are essential to your growth. How can we even know Jesus if we aren't spending time with Him? 

Yes, this is "Sunday School" stuff, so it's sad to feel the need to urge my brothers and sisters (specifically fellow mommas!) to live that Sunday School song out.

Our soil did not reach this beauty on its own. It took back-breaking effort, and tear-inducing patience. But oh the harvest!! What a beautiful harvest we look forward to and already are seeing, not only in our garden but in our very lives.

In the 3 years since we laid these wood chips-

-Derek was finally released from the shackles of his sin.

-Marie surrendered to our Savior.

-Derek became the spiritual leader in our home and one in our church.

-Two of Derek's students surrendered their lives to the Lord.
-I've been a part of leading 2 people from our church to the Lord.
-Marie and I were baptized together.

All things that put callouses on my knees from prayer. All miracles I had doubted possible. All as a result of doing our best to spend time in prayer and in His Word every.single.day.

Next year we will probably need to add more wood chips. We'll have to continue to be patient. We'll have to continue to put in the effort.

But oh the harvest!!

"As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold..." Matthew 13:23

((Later this week I'll share practical ways for a momma to make time for the Lord))