It has been several years now since my wife and I have been able to plant a garden. So you can imagine how exciting it has been for us to plant our garden now that we are living in Reliance, Virginia. We had never tried composting before so it was going to be interesting to see how compost would affect our garden. I knew that the compost would enrich our garden soil. What I was not prepared for was the variety of volunteer plants that would spring up in our garden.
We originally planted six tomato plants and, because we put some compost in the garden as it was being tilled, we ended up with eleven. Also last fall we purchased a pumpkin to decorate our porch. After the pumpkin had seen better days, we cut it up and put it on the compost pile. While several articles recommended that we make sure not to allow seeds into the compost mix, we decided to just dump in everything.
And so over the winter I turned the compost faithfully and added our kitchen scraps. I kept wondering what the soil from the compost would look like and whether it was actually doing what it was supposed to do. After all, we had not put the compost in a bin, as is sometimes recommended, but just piled it up near the back fence.
This was an experimental year, both for the compost and the garden. It was a pleasant surprise to watch the volunteers, including two pumpkin vines, pop up in unexpected places and give us produce we hadn’t counted on. Keep seeds out? Where would be the adventure in that?
Where is all this leading? It has reminded me that when you and I put ourselves in God’s hands (seeds and all) and trust God, we are never quite sure what life will have in store for us, but we will always be surprised by God. And it seems to me those surprises are like my composting experiment—we never know what is going to grow in the garden of our lives. It usually turns out to be better than we could ever imagine.
Tim is a graduate of Shalem's Personal Spiritual Deepening Program, Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation.
This article really grabbed me. Jo and I have built a home in Tennessee and are planning our retirement there. Even though a bit premature, we have already set in a vegetable/Flower garden. Really the vegetable garden is the holding area for landscape plants being purchased for future placement. As I am cleaning up around the house and in the woods I have been creating both a critter habitat and a compost pile. There is really no telling what ultimately will end up in our garden as a result. But, that is not the real reason that this article grabbed me. Jo and I are both ordained clergy, we are professional hospital chaplains, Police/Fire/EMS volunteer chaplains, and very active in our parish church. We are both retired Law Enforcement. We both teach pastoral care classes to pastors and laity. We are experienced with M.A.D.D. and general bereavement counseling, working with PTSD and stress trauma, and C.I.S.M. This article reinforces for me that we don't have any idea what God has in store for us(seeds and all) in retirement, but I am sure that there will surprises come up in our garden and in our ministry. We are trusting God that they will be better than we ever imagined.
I.N.J.
That is the great thing about planting a garden. It's hard work that takes time and effort. Those seeds grow to begin a new life. Just like you have stated in your experience in the clergy and law enforcement, you were planting seeds for your future. Along the way there are plants that wilt but in the end if you take care of the soil, your spirit, new plants will grow in every phase of life bringing new meaning and purpose. May your garden be full and and colorful, full of life!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words. You are one of the plants that has given the garden four beautiful children, and a beautiful spirit and teacher. I love you!
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