Finding the Strength and Courage to Harvest a New Season of Joy

Take time to plant new seeds of God’s word in your heart to grow a garden of abundant love. Harvest joy through all seasons!

When we welcome in the month of September, I always feel grateful knowing that the garden has made it through another summer season.  

For many years, after a long morning in the garden, Jose, our gardener, and I wipe the wear of the heat from our brows, dust off the dirt from the garden trimmings, and take a big sigh of relief. We look up to our heavenly father with big smiles, raise our hands with joy and say, “Thank You, God” for bringing our garden through another long, dry and sun-scorched summer.  

As Jose packed up his gardening tools and said good-bye for the day, I continued to work, savoring a few more moments of pruning as the afternoon’s soft cool breeze danced through garden. The sky began to light up in brilliant bright reds, oranges and golden hues in a most spectacular autumn sunset painting.

The next day, I open the paper and, flashed across the front-page, were headlines announcing a record-breaking historic heat wave to hit my area over the next few days.  Just as I thought this summer was coming to a close, like many other things this year, we have another unexpected challenge to prepare for.

 I grab a pad and pen and jot down a plan for how to prepare the garden for this upcoming heat wave. I rush around gathering my gardening tools and supplies then go outside to survey the garden to map out “my plan” to prepare the garden for this historic heat wave.  I take note of where I may need to add extra water or preventative sprays to conquer the extra insects that join the heat in the garden. I sit down in the cool shade created by our big tree we call Solomon, and find myself saying again, “Wait a minute. Take a deep breath.”

I begin to think, “The only way to be prepared for any hour, day or week is to truly put our faith and trust in God.” This doesn’t mean that we do not prepare or take on responsibilities, quite the opposite.  We should always be prepared for what the day may bring but we should be prepared with the greatest tool created, simply, the word of God.  We really do not know what the day, a week or a month may bring, but we do have a great certainty in knowing that if we choose to believe in God’s word and unfailing love, He promises to guide us through our daily walks in life with great faithfulness.

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Psalms 5:11

As I rest and find comfort under this great tree, I am reminded, once again, to allow my heart to be open to our Heavenly Father for all things, big and small -- heat waves or cold fronts, lost items or broken hearts. He wants to be there for us and with us through all seasons of our lives. All He asks is for us to spend time with Him, to be in fellowship with Him, to softly open our hearts, the center of our spirits and the wellspring of our lives, to find peace and security.

Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?” Let the light of your face shine on us.  Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound. In peace, I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.  Psalms 4:7-8

I quietly sit, thinking about these words. I begin to feel the sun’s heat wash through the garden. I am reminded that true security and happiness does not lie in material remedies, a bank account, physical abundance or even forecasts, but in our spiritual relationship with God. 

I am reminded how God is a gracious host and loves hospitality. He always offers us an open-ended invitation to enjoy a feast every day with delightful food from His word and endless refreshments from His river of running water richly filled with blessings through all seasons of every hour, of every day in every week.   

He wants us to be as strong as a deeply-rooted tree in his word and love, and to be prepared for all things with trust and confidence in Him.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8 

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1st John: 4:14-15 

I leave the protective shade of my grand tree, Solomon, and prepare the garden and myself for this historic heat wave. I am reminded that, as I choose to open my heart in fellowship with God more, I feel a greater comfort of peace and security from His unfailing love for today and all the days ahead.

With this confidence from God, I am ready to move forward through all seasons. Maybe today is a great day to start sowing more seeds of God’s word to grow an abundant garden of love and wisdom. 

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. Psalms 1:3