Welcome to my Garden

Not to be cliche'd, but life is NOT just like chocolates (though they certainly do help!), it's kinda like a garden.  This view has helped me see so much that I had missed before.  I didn't expect this life -- and no one expected it for me.  I was the anti-thesis to the stay-at-home mom.  I chose to change majors because I didn't think I could work with kids daily.  I turned up my nose at all the efforts of family to teach me practical skills like canning and gardening.  I was too busy following my own path to see the path God laid out for me... until (like He is prone to do) he just said here you go!

A garden needs nurtured.  So does life ~ you weed out the things that choke out your joy.  You make sure you're fed emotionally and spiritually.  It's back-breaking, and you often don't see reward until the end of the season.  Keep with it, it's worth it.  If it doesn't work like you plan it, take note and try again!  Never be discouraged!

A garden is much more enjoyable when you share it with someone, whether that's family, friends or total strangers.  The bounty and beauty of a garden is meant to be enjoyed in community just like that of our lives.  In truth, the struggles are better if we share them too.  I know the first time I hoed a patch of corn, I thought I'd die.  But when I swallowed my pride and asked DearHusband (heretofore referred to as DH) to help, it was done in no time and we had time to enjoy some back-yard swing time!  Here's to life in community!

In a garden, you don't start out staring at plants and equipment and then say oh, I should learn to garden.  No, you (or your spouse or even your yard!) decide you want to garden, and then you get equipped to do so.  In my life, God called me to this, then proceeded to equip me as we went along.  I often find myself asking for grace because I'm learning this domestic thing from scratch!

That brings me to my last point ~ much of this is new to me.  It really has been an adventure over the last 7 years!   Now with that sense of adventure comes the excitement that I want to share it with *someone*.  Well, DH is not big on me getting my 50,000 words in each day -- kinda overloads him.  So... I thought I'd share my excitement this way!  I hope you enjoy this adventure with me!