A lifetime has passed since my last blog. To summarize: my parents visited me in Spain, I traveled all over Europe, came home, went to school, came home again with mono, went back to school again, graduated college (woot woot), came home for good, planted a garden, met my 6 wonderful little chickens, and started working at a country club. Life is abundant and good. I can't remember being so joyful... ever. So that is my mini update. I think I will continue blogging. Barb's Grand Adventure in Europe has ended, but there are endless adventures yet to be had.
Lessons from the Garden
Today was my first day off in a long time. I was pumped about the great things I could do in my free day. I woke up, read some of Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, worked on a crocheted baby blanket for a friend, and then took a shower. After my shower, I was convinced that I needed to do something nice for myself. So I put on a cute outfit and got ready to go shopping, clearly forgetting anything I had read about the extremely improvised people who don't make enough money in an entire year to buy the outfit I was currently wearing. I was running out to my car to go indulge in some consumerism, when I looked down at the dry soil in my mom's garden of black-eyed susans.
I decided to water my gardens before heading out. I slipped off my my purple flats with the cute gold studs, tossed them aside, and sported my crocs, which completed the outfit quite horridly. I filled up my little metal watering can and made several trips from the kitchen in my house out to various gardens in my yard, and lastly, my vegetable garden. I am a very particular veggie-grower. I consider myself a purist: starting from seeds, refusing miracle grow and other chemicals. I believe that plants will just do their own thing if you give them a little love. And trust me.. I give my plants a lot of love. I call them my babies, talk to them, and water them constantly. I take great pride in them too, incessantly begging my family members to take a look at how much Green Pepper or Plum Tomato has grown.
Today I noticed some of my plants were not making much progress in the growing department. As I was watering my I grew angry with my plants. I was livid that the only lettuce that is thriving is the spicy mix and how I don't want a spicy and bitter salad. I said out loud, "Romaine Lettuce, you are so small and stupid, you too Baby Spinach, and Cucumber, you disgust me. Day after day, I water you, I weed you, it has been sunny, the soil is rich. You have EVERYTHING you could possibly want, yet you refuse to thrive! JUST GROW!"
After my verbally abusive conversation with my plants had ended, I thought for a moment, "Is this how God feels about me?" Last week I attended a planning meeting for my bible study where people said they just weren't growing, myself included. I started to imagine what God would say to me. How He would tell me that I am selfish and not growing, yet He had given me my family, my friends, fellowship, Monday Night, Friday Night, church, books, health, food, clothing, provisions, excellent books written by knowledgeable people, and more importantly: His Word, His Son, His Holy Spirit, and a world full of wonder and amazement. I have been tending my garden for the past 7 weeks, but God has been providing opportunities for me to grow for the past 22 years and planning out my life since forever. I am thankful that He is infinitely patient with me, that He prompts me to grow daily, and that He refuses to leave me as I am.
