As I've been sorting through my fall garden seeds and reflecting on the successes and failures of my summer vegetable garden I am reminded once again of the blessing of second chances.
Gardening can be such a humbling experience. You start out in the spring with all your fresh plant starts with such hope and so many plans for what you will do with the harvest you reap. You do your part and amend the soil, adding nutrients and sowing seeds into fertile ground. You tend to it with love, feed it when necessary and keep it well watered through the long hot days of summer.
And then an unexpected force of nature happens, a late freeze or a wicked heat wave and you lose a plant here and there. You regroup, lower your expectations for the size of your harvest and you go on. And then a squirrel or raccoon or rat or gopher gets through the fence and helps himself to your entire tomato crop.
Just about now you are wondering what went wrong, what you could have done differently, will you bother trying again?
And then you see that seed catalog that came in the winter that held so much hope for your summer garden and reach for the seeds that you ordered during the darkness of winter and remember that fall holds a second chance to start a new garden and reap a fresh harvest.
Life is like a garden in this way, we may do all the right things, tend to our lives and homes with all the love and devotion we are capable of and yet not reap the harvest we desire. Don't lose hope.
Our God is a God of second chances and His mercies are new every morning. He will not have us endure dark times without the promise of a greater future bounty. Trust his innate goodness and unending faithfulness. Continue to plant seeds sown in love and hopeful anticipation. You will reap a rich and satisfying harvest in the season God has appointed it for you.
If you are in a time of great abundance, thank God and give Him all the glory!
xo, Patty
He is definitely the God of second chances and more :) Even when a plant seems to die and you cast it to the side and forget about it, the next thing you know, it's popping out some green leaves and you realize that it wasn't as bad off as you thought. There was still the promise of life under the surface. Such a great representation of God all throughout the garden, Patty. Thanks for the reminder :)
ReplyDeleteI am reminded every time I am in nature just what an amazing God He is!
DeleteI have never been a gardener but I love this analogy...and am so very grateful for mercies that are new every morning. Each season. And after each failure where I wonder "what was I thinking??" Blessed by your words this afternoon!
ReplyDeleteIsn't He such a good God? So glad you were blessed!
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