I’m sitting here waiting for a pot of water to boil so I can start blanching squash from my garden to put in my freezer. What’s that, a watched pot never boils? That’s why I’m sitting here blogging!
I entered my first year of gardening with quite a bit of doubt. I wasn’t sure I would be a good gardener. I didn’t know if my soil would produce anything. What if I forgot to water it? What if my seeds didn’t sprout? What if bunnies came and ate everything? I planted my seeds Memorial Day weekend and then I hovered over them. Every day, I’d walk the garden to inspect…and worry.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that no matter how much I hovered, watered and fertilized, I couldn’t make that garden grow. I could do everything right, but still, I couldn’t guarantee that seed would germinate and grow a strong plant and produce fruit. Watching a garden grow is watching a miracle happen right before your eyes. To watch one tiny seed produce dozens (and dozens) of zucchini blows my mind. I’ve realized how dependent we are on God for our food.
I think that’s something we’ve forgotten in our grocery-store-consumerism society. Don’t get me wrong, I’m incredibly thankful for the grocery store within walking distance. I never have to worry if there will be bread or milk. It’s just there when I need it. That’s not the case across the globe, or even across this country.
God has used my garden to remind me this summer why we pray before our meals – it’s not a spiritual ritual that we are just supposed to do – it’s a humble recognition that we depend on Him for our food, whether it came from our garden or someone else’s farm and then to the grocery. Ultimately, it’s a gift from Him for our sustenance.
Beautiful. And such a great reminder.