There’s a garden growing in our back yard! I haven’t seen it yet, but I believe it’s there. The soil has been being prepared for some time and Sunday the seeds were planted. Then God watered the yard and it was good. Any day now a study of the area, even from a second story window observation, is going to reveal our summer veggies coming to life.

This is only the second time I have had anything to do with a garden (other than literally eating the fruits from my grandparent’s labors) and this time is going to be different! The first time I was a Miami-raised girl planted in a Midwestern state where our home was at the intersection of four corn fields. Burning my trash in a barrel and canning were new to me. So was gardening. But this southern-bred girl wanted some okra and no one around us had any idea what to do with it so they did not plant it nor did the stores offer it for sale.

Friends offered to give us several rows of their tilled garden. The excitement was palatable! A garden – our very own home-grown produce. So, with eager anticipation, we planted okra and for the life of me I cannot remember what else.

We planted it and left it there. The garden plot was several miles away from our house and the ole adage out of sight, out of mind characterized our care of the plants. We had checked on them to be sure the seeds had sprouted. But we had never watered them. We trusted our friends to do that since they owned the land and surely cared for their garden since it was a significant source of their food. And we never weeded or removed insects who obviously liked this new varietal in their territory.

I do not remember how long it was after we planted the seeds that our friends gently suggested we might want to check on our garden. WOW! We did it! Good sized okra plants … and better sized weeds. To our dismay it was hard to distinguish the too. We harvested a handful of pods from the dying plants before leaving to return home disappointed.

Now I know how absurd our actions were! We had to be willing to work for what we wanted. This year is going to be different. I know that if I want those freshly-picked veggies then I have to care for the plants that will produce them. If I expect something from nothing that is what I will get.

Our walk with God is the same way. If we are not committed to spending time with God, in studying the Bible, with other believers, in ministry and service, and in worship, then we cannot expect to grow in our understanding of God. Time is the perfect growth agent. How much are you willing to give to grow your relationship with God?