Over the years, I’ve added little things to my backyard to make it a little more cozy so I can enjoy sitting here. Last year, my dad and I built a covering for my deck. It was a desire that I’d had for many years, but never quite knew how I wanted to execute. When I found the right covering, I bought it with eager anticipation.
At this moment, it’s raining, and yet, I can still sit here enjoying the outdoors.
It’s also hard to sit here without taking note of my blooming garden.
Similarly, last year, as I sat out, I looked at the space that had been created by the previous owner. They had put stones around a 10 x 2 area, and even after living here for 8 1/2 years, I’d kept it the same and hardly did anything with it. But, in my quiet time, I decided to finally clean up the area and add some flowers (pictures 1 and 2).
Fast forward to this year. As I’ve been in a season of quiet reflection, I looked at the same area, and it’s as if my vision started growing. I bought a planter box, which would have taken up much of the area, put it together and started planting. My intention was simply to plant in the box and maybe a little bit on either side.
I started many plants from seeds, even sprinkled wild flower seeds, watered, and watched. Sometimes I doubted they would grow because I didn’t see much happening or they seemed to be eaten so badly by pests, but I kept watering.
Then, as I also received way more plants than I originally planned for, I realized that while the previous owner had set a boundary of what they wanted, I did not need to be limited to their boundary. This is my ninth summer here – and yet, I’m still confining my life to people I’ve never met. (This is a word for someone)
I decided to move the stones, I extended both sides. The more I adjusted, the more my eyes were opened. How often do we limit ourselves based on what we have been told or shown? I have now ended up with a garden space above my wildest imagination. I’m growing things that exceed anything that I could have imagined. I’m even giving away – even if it’s one at a time, things that are coming from my harvest.
I truly believe that this year, God is showing me that He can do exceedingly, abundantly, more than I can ask or imagine. I have no idea all the ways it will show up, but, I am living in expectation and anticipation.
This space has exceeded my wildest imagination. It has both food and flowers. In the past, I did primarily either only food or only flowers. I stopped being limited to what I thought I should do.
And.. it brings me great joy.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that you are a God of exceedingly, abundantly. I’m so grateful for how you show your love in such practical ways. Please continue to show us that we can trust you.