What's growing in your garden?

We have been so blessed to have some absolutely beautiful weekends to enjoy outside. Bob loves to do anything outside...he gets in a mode where he just can knock out all kinds of projects and fun things and has the kids join him. I'm not sure where he gets all the energy....I sure could use a little scoop of it!

Anyway, he got up one particular morning and gathered up the kids and headed out to Lowes for all the supplies he would need to make a greenhouse. I think he gets almost as excited as the kids do. They returned and worked on the greenhouse for a little while and then started planting their seeds. They planted sunflowers, watermelons, carrots, and an assortment of all kinds of flowers. They had so much fun! As I snapped some pics of them planting I was disturbed by the fact that I wasn't into it....I mean...I had great joy watching them have a great ol' time but it certainly didn't look fun to me.

Ya see, I really don't like the whole "planting seed thing"....I like the finished product. So, in other words, if I am gonna plant anything I am gonna go buy flowers that are blooming....and bushes with flowers that are budding....I need to see something to make me feel good about the work put into it. With seeds, there is no instant return....you have to wait and hope that they take root. After all, they might not have been planted with enough water or the soil could have had too many rocks or weeds in it and then once it grows a little it's then transferred to a bigger pot or a bigger area of ground and will it take then.. or will it wither and die?! I seem to think sometimes it's too risky....why not go get something more stable and pretty and just plant that...something where all the work is already done for you and you just get to enjoy the beauty of someone else's hard work.....sounds good to me. Instant gratification.....baby, that's me!

Oh how this hit home for me in my own spiritual walk.....

So many things in my life are seeds waiting to be planted or seeds that have already been planted but are waiting for me to water them and patiently care for them. But my own human nature grabs hold of me and I feel like no progress is being made because I can't see it so I sometimes give up and walk away from that situation looking for something else that will make me feel better...a more stable plant. I wonder just how many times I have missed out on the Lord's blessing because of my lack of faith, my fear of the unknown, my fear of failure, or fear of rejection. How big could my garden be...right now...if I had just trusted? I won't know...and looking back will not help me..but looking forward though...I know this..I want to be a gardener who loves seeds and takes every opportunity to plant what God gives me and to learn through the process of the unknowns. I am uncertain if I will ever get that beautiful flowering plant or whether He decides I need to just be faithful and water it and care for it no matter how it turns out in the end, whether it grows to be a big beautiful tree or remains a little plant that helps produce nutrients for the soil to support those big beautiful trees.

My deepest desire is to be exactly what He wants me to be....nothing more and nothing short of that. My heart longs to be faithful to my God in all circumstances and through the uncertainties of life and I desire to serve Him and to have that garden designed by Him and not by my own choosing.

They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

Isaiah 61:3

Maggie making little peanut butter covered pinecones

Bob hanging the birdhouse up

what a fun daddy! love him so much!

preparing their soil

planting their seeds

putting them in the greenhouse

so excited! she kept checking back during the rest of the day to see if they had grown yet.....(too cute....guess she takes a little after me that way....oh dear!)

the beautiful greenhouse!