The Lessons of the Garden

Mark just finished putting the last brick around the garden.  My oldest daughter and I climbed over the fence, kneeled in the dirt, and waited for my husband to hand us the seed packages so we could begin planting.  All of a sudden, we all busted out laughing.  We didn't have a clue on what we were doing, but we did anyways!

A few weeks prior to starting our garden, we shared our idea with a few neighbors.  Their reaction was, "it won't work".  They shared stories of their failures and why growing a garden is just a waste of time.  We know they meant well and that sharing their experiences came from love. 

What if we would have listened?  What if we allowed their failure to become our realities?  Many times we allow the opinions of others to stop us from going against the grain and trying something new. Dreams, experiences, and ideas are often left in the package. Often we never plant or water our dreams so they can harvest, because we believe in the words of people more than God’s.  However, this time our family took the time to learn from other's mistakes, but we didn't allow it to stop us from trying!

If we would have listened to the voices of others, we would have missed out on the laughter and teamwork needed to put this garden together.  We would have missed the opportunity, when the bunnies ate the green beans, carrots and broccoli seeds, to teach the kids that you don’t quit-- you evaluate the situation and try something new.  We would have missed the excitement when the kids saw the fruit of all their hard work ripen! 

Don’t allow someone to tell you that your garden is not possible.  Whatever God has placed on your heart, if you water, nurture, and share it with people with the same vision, it will begin to grow.  One day, you will begin to enjoy the fruit of your labor.  The best part of it all will be the memories and life lessons learned along the way.