Our bible study group has been SLOWLY growing..i mean going, through the book of Matthew this last year (give or take a few months) and just the other week we read the Parable of the Sower. I found this to be quite fitting considering this group had just embarked upon a major project birthing a non profit “entrepreneurial development and green job creation program”… a mouthful I know, but the basic gyst of the program is to create jobs through community gardens and their new found partnership with a horse ranch to manufacture manure/compost. There is also the added benefit of the sustainability they are getting from the produce itself.
Anyway, here we were sitting in a home maintained by gardening loving hippies (no offense intended) and we were reading a chapter from Matthew comparing the world to seeds, comparing God’s word to gardening, comparing sin and temptation/evil to weeds…. I loved the irony in it. In fact, I feel like its not fair to call it irony or “fate” anymore… or coincidence… I have learned that God has taken the time to carefully plan the things in my life and didn’t just throw them together by chance, so for me to just laugh this off as “irony” could almost be considered an insult to his omniscience (6th grade SFC bible class reference right there baby!!). SO I retract that first statement and I will say that I was in awe at the connection between this group and all they were fighting to achieve as a soul saving non profit and this particular chapter we had come to read after months and months of studying together.
Our group thrived on the comparisons and living examples that were used to help us translate the meaning of these verses to our own lives. This truly was an example of where God’s Word was living, breathing and coming alive within a group; in my opinion anyway… I came home that night with a heavy list of needs within the group and an even larger list of prayer request that I was voluntarily committed to praying for… throughout the week I have been wondering and praying for the group, their direction, their leaders/members…. I have been watching doors open for them and reveling in their excitement as they leap with God’s grace accepting each opportunity that is presented to them in hopes of growing their vision into a true success by every definition of the word.
To show that my support was not only in steadfast prayer but also participation; my children and I attended their free gardening class April 2nd from 10am on. My son was mainly interested in harassing the chickens or digging large holes in the dirt; I praise God that he wasn’t attempting to dig like a dog and was using a shovel, we have yet to master this strategy at home. My daughter; the one that can actually walk and talk, was beyond thrilled to visit with the girls, munch down a million and one chocolate chip cookies, swing in the hammok and oh yeah… plant a few seeds in some pots. despite being deathly afraid of any tiny living thing with more than four legs she is a true gardener at heart! She jumped right in when she saw the soil, pots and pony packs of flowers/tomatoes were brought out. She had no problem saying “hey you, please give me that” or pushing her way through to the hose and taking over watering everyone else’s flower pot… yep, thats my daughter. Of course now, since bringing our mysterious plants home (I have yet to determine what she actually planted in them) she has checked them most effectively; almost every hour on the dot. She is full of questions such as “are they done growing yet?” “do they need a drink again?” Of course being that I am the person that can manage to kill plastic house plants, yes thats right I said plastic… I am the last person she should be directing these questions to… but like the totally awesome mommy I am, I simply smile and say “What did your gardening teacher say at class on Saturday?” AND BAM!! she answers her own question and I am off the hook. THANK YOU Erin and Marcos for being amazing gardening instructors!
That night I came home and while spending some time in the word, yet again I was faced with MORE gardening metaphores….
“I have promised to meet all your needs according to My glorious riches. Your deepest most constant need is for My Peace. I have planted Peace in the garden of your heart, where I live; but there are weeds growing there too: pride, worry, selfishness, unbelief. I am the Gardener, and I am working to rid your heart of those weeds. I do My work in various ways. When you sit quietly with Me, shine the Light of My Presence directly into your heart. In this heavenly Light, Peace grows abundantly and weeds shrivel up. I also send trial into your life. When you trust Me in the midst of trouble, Peace flourishes and weeds die away. Thank Me for troublesome situations; the Peace they can produce far outweighs the trials you endure.” Philippians 4:19; Corinthians 4:17
Not only do I feel like I totally need to ignore my apparent “black” thumb and start a garden of my own, but I am encouraged. After months of wondering if I am in the right place, if I am making the right decisions … I may not be a part of this group forever, but for right now in this moment it is intricately and most definitely where I belong.
If you are interested in the Gardening Classes I think this link will take you to their FB page :
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Generation-Community-Catalyst/211189308906747
Its fun watching from afar the skill and work and joy coming from this group. God is good and promises many treasures.