We move into our new home this weekend …. I have once again secured the living room as my “art studio” and laid claim to the backyard as my garden. ⠀⠀

The backyard is a mess … which excites me … offering a blank slate to let my gardening skills work freely. My first plans are for raised beds offering us vegetables of plenty … which is hysterical … because I currently have tomato, cucumber and zucchini plants in pots outside the RV which are wilting with disattention.⠀⠀I am not sure why this happened. I suppose a good portion has to do with habit, location and a secured watering system. Whatever the case, I am reminded that what a gardener does or doesn’t do matters.⠀⠀

The thing is … as a gardener I can plant seeds in a conducive plot of land with the the best sunlight & soil … I can tend, water, and weed the garden … but, I have no control over which seeds will grow into a plant. God must cause that growth. ⠀⠀God’s sovereignty knows how things will turn out long before they ever happen. His sovereignty also calls me to work … such as to tend my garden … my spiritual garden.⠀⠀

I suppose tending the garden of the soul begins with providing a conducive environment for growth … prayer, confession, spiritual food, hope … but, in the end … I have no idea what growth will actually happen.⠀⠀

Case in point … We have been living in our RV for the past 7 weeks. It seemed obvious the Lord was going to grow me some “patience”. Admittedly, patience did not grow … but, what did grow was my ability “offer grace” to others who were just as impatient and tired of living in a space smaller than our new master bathroom … as me. ⠀⠀I did not have control over what was going to “grow” in me … but, was able to offer enough of a “conducive environment” for “something” to grow in me … even if it wasn’t what I expected.⠀⠀

I am excited to tend to both of my gardens … I shall toil, pray, hope … and ponder … #SunriseSandi#SandiPonders#Growth