Vanilla Wafers in the Garden

Mid way watering the garden Collins said “hold jew mommy hold jew” I pick her up and she says “cookies”. So we turn & go back up to the house and get some cookies. She then says again “hold jew” so I stop my routine chores and hold her on the porch to watch her eat some nilla wafers with her sitting as close as she can at my side - she grabs my hand opens my palm & says “share one” as she places her half ate vanilla wafer in my palm. So we sat there as she demanded the birds to come eat in the bird feeder & I realized how beautiful my flowers had started looking. I realized how much just watching her eating & wanting to share made me so happy. I realize how perfect sitting there with Collins actually was, she just wanted me, some cookies and to look around and be grateful for the small things. It was right there that I had a huge stop and smell the roses Life moment with her today.

I realized that after my parents house fire and having so many personal goals that I had become too busy to just stop & smell the roses. I realized that her new crying when I drop her off each morning lately and the constant need to be held- she just needed some quality time. I considered watering the gardens, looking at bugs & planting wasn’t technically quality time to her as it was for me. So we headed back down to the garden with a pack of remaining vanilla wafers.

Once everything was watered, we played outside. We stopped and rang the door bell too many times and laughed. Spent a little bit of time in the tree swing and then took the buggy out of the play house to “go shopping at the farmers market.” I realized to her that the smallest things cultivate so much joy & how happy she was playing with her mama.

There are many moments In my outdoor hobbies that I have met God there in nature. All throughout God’s word He talks about roots, growth, seeds, branches, water, soil, fruit…the list goes on and on. It occurred to me that there is so much we can learn by gardening & a toddler. That like gardens & toddlers our spiritual lives have to be tended to. Do you remember how annoyed Jesus was with the fig tree that didn’t bear fruit in Matthew 21:19 or the parable He told in Luke 13:6?

In my life Collins is a seed which I sew into in hopes she finds salvation and makes heaven crowded bearing witness. My other seeds are just that- in my garden. So when I hit pause today I realized the similarities of Gods love and us having quality time with Him. God desires for us to lead fruitful lives that are continually transformed and have evidence of growth. Growing every day to become more and more like Him. Learning from our experiences and increasing our faith God taught me the similarities of myself & Collins today. He taught me to stop smell the roses- look at things through the lens of love, fruitfulness & contentment all in a bag of vanilla wafers in the garden.

May we all continue to bear good fruit.