Tending to Me
Wednesday, July 18, 2012 Posted by Sara
|
|
Tweet |
|
|
Pin It |
God is a great gardener. I mean, that's kind of how He set up shop
here, right? And though the garden gates were closed many moons ago, His
Word gives evidence to His continuing green thumb.
God’s Word is a seed that bears fruit in good soil. (Luke 8:11)
God’s Kingdom is like a mustard seed, sneaky and small, but with
potential to change everything. (Mark 4:31)
We are God’s seeds, planted to release the Kingdom to the world around
us. (Matt. 13:38)
All this garden talk got me thinking about how I tend the seeds He’s
planted in me. I’m not talking about the
jobs, family, or other responsibilities we “tend” in our lives. I’m talking about the things He’s planted
inside us – our mind, our health, our gifts.
I know in many of our lives, these days, we literally have to fight to
tend our own garden because there are so many people or responsibilities pulling on
us. Sometimes we convince ourselves that
“me time” is downright selfish.
Let’s put the kibosh on that right now.
It’s not selfish. It’s necessary.
You never know what fruit the seeds you tend in you might
provide for the people around you.
For me, sometimes tending seeds looks like:
Cultivating a rested mind – Take scenic drive, add favorite instrumental
music, or turn it all off and roll down the windows and just spend time enjoying God's beauty.
Encouraging a cheerful heart- Call my brother or read a funny novel
before bedtime.
Developing a healthy body – Educate myself on healthy eating, find a
consistent, motivating way to exercise, give myself permission to get a
pedicure, get plenty of sunshine.
Challenging mindsets – Currently diving into all things Dr. Henry Cloud
(Boundaries and Safe People)
Launching dreams – Find fun spots to take my laptop and write.
Keep in mind tending the seeds in our lives may truly be a seasonal endeavor in some respects. For instance, the way I invest in my joy of writing looks very different during the summer months verses the school year, because my teacher schedule limits my time for that. So if you are sitting here reading this, dreamy-eyed, thinking, "Great thought, Sara, but realistically I don't have time to go for a joy ride or reading anything for fun right now," recognize though there are some seeds that need tending to on a daily basis, some are for special times or require different methods.
