It’s week 2 of the Joy to the Soul Summer series! I’m honored to have Kathy-Ann C. Hernandez, PhD. share life lessons from her summer garden. What are you planting this summer? What seeds are you sowing in your relationship with God and those around you? As we think about our answers, I’m grateful to have Kathy-Ann share some encouragement with us this week.

I enjoy summer gardening. And while I prefer growing vegetables over flowers, I garden primarily because it is good for my soul. On many mornings, I sneak out of the house before anyone else is up to see what new and exciting thing is happening in my backyard garden.

Are the tomato plants standing a bit taller today?

Are the zucchini blossoms adding a pop of sunshiny yellow to the beds?

What pesky critters are trying to chomp on my young seedlings?

What about the pole beans? Are they finally climbing the poles, or are the rebellious little rascals trying to grow along the ground?

Gardening teaches so many lessons about a loving Savior and our relationship to Him. In the garden we are confronted with “life at the bone”.

Here, we see that seeds shallowly planted can be eaten by birds, and a heavy downpour can wash away the potential for life. Young plants must battle the elements and bugs in order to survive, and wayward young plants often require a gentle nudge to lay hold of support stakes necessary for their growth.

In the garden, I have grieved the loss of plants eaten by critters that did not tend for them. And I have chosen to replant– start all over again, recognizing that my part in the process is to sow, water and cultivate. God is the one who does what I cannot–breathe life into dead places. As with gardening, so it is with ministry. Paul reminded the Corinthians:

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3: 6-8, NLT).

In the work of ministering to others, God invites us to be co-workers. However much we might invest in blogging, speaking, serving, and sharing the word, it is not our human efforts that move hearts to a personal encounter with God. It is the power of His Holy Spirit that does this work–God makes things grow. He is the master gardener. Is it any wonder that the first work God gave Adam was to tend the beautiful Garden of Eden?

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15 NIV).

An all-powerful God who does not need any help from us at all, invited Adam to be a gardener. Fascinating isn’t it? I like to think that in giving Adam this work, God was handing him the gift of a curriculum for life. In gardening, Adam would learn the value of working with his hands. As he diligently cared for young plants, he would learn to fulfill his role as a parent and guardian. In tending the garden, he would develop a greater appreciation for food, for life, and for the earth; consequently, he would become a more diligent steward of it all.

But more than any of these lessons from the school of gardening, God was passing on to Adam a treasure that would nurture his own spirit. Gardening would remind Adam that like the plants, he was himself under the care of a master gardener—God Himself.

Why not plant something this summer? Next time you are out and about, grab a packet of seeds, a cute pot or window box, and some potted soil. Plant the seeds, water them often, and set in a sunny spot. Partner with God in making something grow—it will nourish your soul.

Kathy-Ann C. Hernandez, Ph.D. is an author, professor, and leadership expert. She is the founder of Value What Matters, a life leadership brand focused on intentional living through the relationships we cultivate with self, others, and our God. She researches, writes, and teaches habits and strategies for leading a flourishing life. She is the author of Waiting by the Brook: Seven Steps to Deeper Intimacy with God and the companion journal set.

You can connect with Kathy on her website at Value What Matters or on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

Comment on this week’s post and ENTER A DRAWING TO WIN A FREE COPY OF Kathy-Ann’s book Waiting by the Brook: Seven Steps to Deeper Intimacy with God! One entry per commenter. All eligible comments must be entered by Tuesday, July 5, 2022, at 8:00 p.m. ET.  The winner (must be located in the continental U.S.) will be announced on July 6, 2022!