Abiding Through 2021

Sometimes I need visuals and metaphors to learn and understand ideas and concepts better. Recently, one of my favorite metaphors has been seeing and viewing myself as a garden. As I have been reading and studying John 15 and learning how to Abide with God in different areas of my life over this past year, the tasks of pruning, watering, planting, uprooting and nourishing keep coming up time and time again. Watering and seeing growth over time is something that many people, myself included, take pride in. We find joy in seeing the many hours of laboring and tending to the plants. Likewise, I am like a garden, and my Father in heaven feeds my soul, prunes my branches, uproots the weeds and thorns within me and is constantly mending me. It is not easy, because I am often uncomfortable with the weeds tangled up in me, which hinder and often stop my growth altogether. I love so much about this life, but some of my favorite things in creation are flowers and gardens.

I was recently reading a book, and the garden metaphor came up once again. The author said that God calls us to plant flowers in our own lives. These flowers come from Philippians 4:8, which says:

“Finally brothers [and sisters], whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things”.

And so, I learned God wants me to plant flowers of purity, loveliness, nobility, righteousness, truth, admirability, and praiseworthiness in my garden. He will mend and tend to these seeds, so over time, they may become flowers that bear fruit of these things.

In my short life of almost 20 years, I have come to the conclusion that the best things in life take time and happen slowly. Growing up. Pregnancy. Growing a garden. Self Confidence. Growing Fruit. Deep Relationships where you can converse and communicate healthily and effectively. Baking Bread. Baking anything! Faith. Wealth. Health. Saving up. A solid degree and career you enjoy. Knowing yourself and your heart. And so much more.

And so I have learned that when Jesus says “Trust Me” in the mending process, that I should really trust Him, even when the world and those around me may say otherwise. Someday, at the end of this race we call life, I want to approach Him with a full garden that has His footprints well within the soil.

A dear friend recently told me: “Tend to your own garden first. Water the seed God has planted in you. Then stay with Him all day. Wait on Him to grow you for the harvest.” Tend. Water. Stay. Wait. SO hard but SO worth it!

Choosing the path of Abiding is hard. It is most definitely the narrow road that many people pass over and choose not to take. Every single day and waking moment we get to make a choice. So many options! Speaking for myself, I struggle with making the right choice every time, but Jesus. But Jesus! He knows and He says and He most definitely stays. A dear mentor once told me this simple two word comment and it deeply changed me: He Stays. When the world is crazy and life falls apart and the options are endless and daunting, He is there and He will not leave- He stays! He will never walk away or break up with you or me. He will stay in your garden and make it healthy and just and good. He will make it clean and a place where you and others will want to sit and talk. Share. Or simply just be. Invite Him and tell Him that you want help in your garden, and I promise you, goodness is coming. Believe it!

Garden work is hard. Labor intensive and emotional. The best part is that here at Sisters, whether you are a HSM fan or not- we are all in this together. Let's support each other and cheer each other on as we grow into the people God has called us to be.

Love you people! Happy 2022.

XO

-B