“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn

“And the seeds sown in the good soil stand for those who hear the message and understand it: they bear fruit, some as much as one hundred, others sixty, and others thirty.” – Matthew 13:23 GNT

“As I work on the garden, the garden works on me.” – Gayla Trail

Gardens are very special places.  Within their boundaries one can observe the miracle of growth and life, the season of harvest and plenty, and the time of hibernation or death itself.  Lessons in nurturing, prevention and care – as well as neglect, overgrowth, and disease are all taught there.  What happens in a garden can metaphorically apply to what happens in our life.

Whether you realize it or not, your life is a garden.  Every day, you are choosing what to plant, making decisions on what gets watered and fed, and reaping a harvest based on those choices.  The Bible says, “A man reaps what he sows …” (Galatians 6:7)

When it comes to the garden of our life, we are constantly planting seeds, either consciously or unconsciously – each producing a harvest in due season.  I’m not talking about fruit or vegetable seeds, but seeds of love (or hate), of self-control (or non-constraint), of faith (or disbelief), and of patience (or impatience) to name just a few.

Christ said, “Do not judge and you will not be judged.  Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.  Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  (Luke 6:37-38)

 Good seeds will produce good fruit in our lives – especially if we take the time to care and nurture them – not on an “as needed” basis but making it a daily ritual in our life.

What kind of seeds are you planting today?  What are you doing to care for them and encourage their growth?

At the same time, we can let weeds take over the garden of our lives – choking off or limiting the growth of the seeds we’ve planted – limiting the good fruit they can produce or even killing off the seeds all together.  Potential weeds – like fear, pride, and anger need to be identified quickly to keep them from taking root and developing.

The attention we give to our life’s garden, the care we take to eliminate any weeds that are destructive, will have a bearing on the quality of our own lives and of the lives of those close to us.

Are you aware of the weeds in your life’s garden?  What are you doing to pull them or rid your garden of their presence?

All too often, we make our life’s garden a last priority.   We don’t consciously think about the kinds of seeds we are planting each day, nor do we take the time to pull any unwanted weeds that are overgrown.  Instead, we complain about the kind of fruit (or lack of fruit) we are harvesting in our life – failing to see the importance of caring for and nurturing our life’s garden each day.

Today, look hard at the garden of your life!  What has been planted?  What is growing the most?  How does it look to you?  What kind of harvest is awaiting you down the road?

Make an effort to consciously plant seeds that will produce a wonderful harvest in due season.  Look hard for any weeds that need to be pulled –ensuring they are eliminated before they affect any good seed you’ve planted.  Most importantly, water and nurture it well – guaranteeing it will produce good fruit for you and those close to you.

God bless you!