As I read the Bible and the many lessons that lie between the pages of each book, I notice that some of those lessons become clearer when I put them into practice. Gardening has become one of the ways I see those lessons unfold.
Throughout my life, my mom kept a garden off and on. She has always had a talent for not just helping her plants grow, but caring for them in a way that allowed them to thrive. Because of that intentional care, I’ve watched her plants survive some of the strongest storms and coldest weather. Even when they appear dead to me, she has faith that they will come back. And guess what—they often do.
I believe that confidence comes from knowing the care she has provided. She has spent enough time with each individual plant to know its needs, its strength, and the signs of life that I might overlook. And as children of God, are we not known and cared for even more deeply by our Father?
In John 15, Jesus describes His Father as the gardener and Himself as the vine. As we remain in Jesus, the Father prunes us so that we can bear more fruit. He sees the areas that hinder our growth, including those we may not recognize ourselves. Now, as an adult, I have grown to have that same passion for gardening. Through motherhood and tending a garden, I have learned how much patience, attention, and intentional love it takes to care for someone or something as it grows. But that has also caused me to examine myself. Why don’t we extend that same intentional love and care outwardly into the world? We spend time learning what our children need and noticing when our plants need water, nourishment, or shelter. Yet we can look at one another with distrust and fear before taking the time to understand what someone may be going through. Have we become so accustomed to wrongdoing that we expect it from everyone? There is a place for wisdom and boundaries. But I have to ask myself whether fear has begun making decisions that should be guided by love within me.
Second Timothy 1:7 reminds us that God has given us a Spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. That does not mean we will never feel afraid. But when fear comes, we can bring it to Him instead of allowing it to direct how we live and how we treat others. And that is something God has been dealing with me on: am I truly leaning on Him in my weakness, or am I allowing fear to shape my choices instead of trusting Jesus with what I cannot control? I feel that I am in a season of pruning—a season of recognizing and surrendering patterns and beliefs that hinder my growth in Christ. Some old ways of thinking have to be shed so that I can grow in love, obedience, and trust. And yes, that process can be hard. I do not always understand what God is doing, and I cannot explain every difficult season. But I am learning not to rush the process or assume that a lack of visible progress means nothing is happening.
Think about when you sow a seed in the ground. For a while, you cannot see its growth. Different seeds have different germination periods, so you cannot judge every seed by the same timeline. In the same way, don’t compare your growth to those around you. You may not yet see the fruit, but you can continue faithfully in what God has given you to do. Even when the first seed leaves sprout, there is still more growing to come before the true leaves appear. That first sign of life is evidence of growth, but the plant still needs care. And so do we. So we trust the One who created us and causes things to grow. Remain in Christ. Bring Him your fears, surrender the patterns that keep you from obeying Him, and allow His Word to shape how you live.
And as we receive His care, let us extend that same patient love to others. Take time to listen. Offer encouragement. Speak truth with gentleness. Let someone know they have not been overlooked simply because their growth is not yet visible to us. My mom could recognize signs of life in a plant that I thought was dead because she had spent time caring for it. That reminds me to be slower to give up on people—and to be patient with the work God is doing in me.
May our lives bear the fruit of His Spirit, and may the care we give others reflect the care we receive from our Father.
Amen. 🙏🏾
