A Word for Our Arbor Family
Hi, family!
We have definitely drunk the gardening Kool-Aid. Somehow, a quick trip to Lowe’s for an item I can’t even remember has turned everyone in our house into master gardeners.
One day, Morris and I went to Lowe’s with our son, Jaden, and we stumbled across some seeds. Jaden decided he wanted to plant a garden.
Now, several months later, we are knee-deep in garden soil, compost, and even collecting rainwater because the plants seem to like it best.
Don’t get me wrong; it has been so much fun watching our little seeds sprout and grow, but it has definitely been a learning experience. We’ve had to fight off animals trying to eat our fruit, deal with fungus growing on the leaves of our plants, and battle some type of worm that seems determined to devour every leaf in sight.
In the middle of all of this, the Holy Spirit began teaching us a lesson about being fruitful.
What we learned is that even though we planted the seed, watered it, and cared for the young plant, the work was not done. The plant needs continual watering. If it's a vine, it needs something to climb on for support. Because our soil is very acidic, we add nutrients to the water to help the plants thrive.
We also discovered that there were all sorts of little creatures just waiting to destroy what was growing in our backyard. Before we planted fruit trees and tomato plants, we never noticed these tiny invaders. But as soon as things began to sprout and grow, it seemed to trigger a chain reaction in the ecosystem.
I love that Jesus often taught in parables because they take an abstract concept, something that can be difficult to understand, and connect it to something familiar and relatable.
Without even realizing it, we were teaching our children through these plants what the life of a Christian looks like. It begins as a seed that needs water and sunshine. Over time, it grows into a mature plant that bears fruit.
Just as our garden has pests and obstacles that threaten its growth, there is an intruder in the garden of our lives whose purpose is to keep us from being fruitful and to separate us from our loving Father.
The good news is that when we remain rooted in Christ, continually nourished by His Word, strengthened through prayer, and supported by the people He places around us, we can continue to grow and produce the fruit He desires in our lives.
John 15:5 ~ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
We have definitely drunk the gardening Kool-Aid. Somehow, a quick trip to Lowe’s for an item I can’t even remember has turned everyone in our house into master gardeners.
One day, Morris and I went to Lowe’s with our son, Jaden, and we stumbled across some seeds. Jaden decided he wanted to plant a garden.
Now, several months later, we are knee-deep in garden soil, compost, and even collecting rainwater because the plants seem to like it best.
Don’t get me wrong; it has been so much fun watching our little seeds sprout and grow, but it has definitely been a learning experience. We’ve had to fight off animals trying to eat our fruit, deal with fungus growing on the leaves of our plants, and battle some type of worm that seems determined to devour every leaf in sight.
In the middle of all of this, the Holy Spirit began teaching us a lesson about being fruitful.
What we learned is that even though we planted the seed, watered it, and cared for the young plant, the work was not done. The plant needs continual watering. If it's a vine, it needs something to climb on for support. Because our soil is very acidic, we add nutrients to the water to help the plants thrive.
We also discovered that there were all sorts of little creatures just waiting to destroy what was growing in our backyard. Before we planted fruit trees and tomato plants, we never noticed these tiny invaders. But as soon as things began to sprout and grow, it seemed to trigger a chain reaction in the ecosystem.
I love that Jesus often taught in parables because they take an abstract concept, something that can be difficult to understand, and connect it to something familiar and relatable.
Without even realizing it, we were teaching our children through these plants what the life of a Christian looks like. It begins as a seed that needs water and sunshine. Over time, it grows into a mature plant that bears fruit.
Just as our garden has pests and obstacles that threaten its growth, there is an intruder in the garden of our lives whose purpose is to keep us from being fruitful and to separate us from our loving Father.
The good news is that when we remain rooted in Christ, continually nourished by His Word, strengthened through prayer, and supported by the people He places around us, we can continue to grow and produce the fruit He desires in our lives.
John 15:5 ~ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."