Caring For Your Garden

Several summers ago I attempted to plant a magnificent garden. Unfortunately, it turned out less than magnificent. I was not a happy gardener. After all, I invested quite a bit into this new venture...time, gardening clogs, special tools, special pots, gloves, and so on.

I planted peppers and tomatoes. Thoughts of canned tomatoes, salsa, and pizza sauce were on the brain. My garden produced all of 5 vegetables and they each grew to about the size of a golf ball. Unhappy doesn't even describe how I felt. I mean, my neighbors had tons of juicy red tomatoes...thankfully they shared (I am sure out of pity). What did I do wrong?

Well, summer ended and I sat the pots I bought out for the garbage man. I promised to never garden again...

Here we are three years later and I am tired of paying high prices at the farmer's market! I am giving it another shot. After all, I have kind of turned into a cook so maybe, just maybe I have grown a green thumb?!? (Is this possible)

I have been running through all the possibilities in my head for my failed garden attempt. Maybe I didn't give it enough water? Maybe it wasn't enough of a priority for me? Maybe there wasn't enough sunlight? Maybe just maybe I put too much emphasis on the gardening get-up that I neglected the real need...like learning the basics??? Maybe pests got in and snacked on my veggies?

This has been on my mind a lot! One day the Lord used this to show me how growing a garden resembles our own personal walk with Him. Please bear with me...I am not up on all the proper garden terminology and lingo, but I want to share what is on my mind.


It's not all about the tools!

The first thing I did was run out and buy tools and gardening clothes. I thought that if I looked like a gardener I would be a gardener (please tell me I am not the only one who does this)! Same goes in your Christian life, so many buy into the fallacy that if you look like a Christian you must be a Christian.

Going to church doesn't make you a Christian. Carrying a Bible doesn't make you a Christian. Talking like a Christian doesn't make you a Christian. It is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. All those things are great and things we should do, but lets not forget about our daily relationship with Him.

I will be continuing to share on this next week...