Page 8 - News On 7 April 2022 Edition
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SEEDS FOR THE GODLY GARDENER
                 BY REV. TRACY B RICHARDS
                 “The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is
                 crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.” Matthew 13:22 (Read full
                 Parable of the Sower)
    These past few weeks I’ve been learning a lot about planting a vegetable garden. Coming from the city, I dabbled here and
    there with container gardening on my balcony or porch but, since I’ve been living in Madoc, I now feel a strong desire to start
    my own garden. I’ve been immersing myself in all the information I can find online and I’m grateful to have found many kind
    neighbours who are more than happy to help me get up to speed with what is needed to plan and start a successful garden.
    I've already bought some seeds, exchanged some seeds, and planted some seeds (with handy “Jiffy” starter kits) and I’m now in
    the process of planning out where my raised beds will go and what other seeds I’ll need to collect in order to complete my
    ideal garden.
    At  the  same  time,  (being  the  eclectic  woman  that  I  am)  I’m  in  the  process  of  reading  “Redeeming  Your  Time:  7  Biblical
    Principles for Being Purposeful, Present, and Wildly Productive” by Jordan Raynor, along with my Born To Fly Book Club (a
    community of Christian Entrepreneurs). My initial approach to this book was merely to gain additional tools to become more
    productive but, after only 5 chapters, it has caused me to completely re-evaluate my entire philosophy and relationship with
    work and, more specifically, how I spend my time.
    In a previous post, I explored the distinction between “career” and “calling”, and this process led me to an incredible, personal
    insight: Rather than approaching my profession/career/job as a means to feeling productive or paying my bills, I now realize
    that I do my best work when I’m feeling “called” to do it. This insight then led me to the amazing (but not surprising) discovery
    that my true callings are “Motherhood” and “Ministry”. From there, (with the help of this current book) I have now identified
    that one of my greatest visions for my call to Ministry is this:
    ‘Create Sanctuary where others can safely seek God’s Kingdom; Inspire and equip them to create Sanctuary in their own hearts
    and to do their most exceptional work for the glory of God and the good of others.’  That may seem like a pretty big vision but
    what’s really amazing about it is that it feels completely doable. Why? Because God has given us the most simple answer for
    how to approach this:  Plant seeds.
    Through my experience of starting the seeds for my vegetable garden, I‘m witnessing the simple miracle of how God created
    these tiny seeds, containing within them everything necessary to replicate a whole new version of itself. And, as long as they
    land in the right environment, nature (or a nurturing gardener) provides everything the seedlings need to grow up strong and
    healthy.  As gardeners of our communities, we plant seeds every single day, in the world around us and in the hearts and
    minds of others. Every thought we think, every word we speak, and every action we take matters.

    We have influence, which is why we have to be very mindful about the kinds of seeds
    we are planting, and our effect on the environment in which they grow. This means
    taking  personal  responsibility  for  our  own  level  of  self-awareness,  for  what  we
    believe, for what we stand for; for what we say “yes” to, both directly and indirectly;
    for what we do and say, for what we worry or complain about, for what we abdicate
    from;  for  who  we  blame;  for  who  we  support;  for  the  relationships  we  cultivate…
    Whether we realize it or not, all these things have an impact on the world around us.
    For me, this means waking up every morning and asking God how He wants me to
    spend my time. If my vision is to create Sanctuary and inspire others, I want to be
    sure that I am not wasting even a second of my precious, God-given time on anything
    that will undermine this purpose. I realize that this is a huge undertaking and, like any
    good  garden,  it  will  require  quite  a  bit  of  planning,  preparation  and  discipline  but,
    with each baby step, I am redeeming more of my time to spend on things that matter
    to  me  and,  more  importantly,  to  God.  It’s  still  a  work  in  progress,  but  so  far,  my
    takeaways  are:  to  only  sow  what  I  want  to  reap;  to  be  relentless  in  weeding  out
    anything that will compromise my “garden”; to tend to my Godly priorities and the
    relationships that matter most; to have faith in the process and to remember that the
    harder seasons cultivate resilience.
    If  you  enjoyed  this  post,  I  encourage  you  to  subscribe  to  my  blog  at
    tracybrichards.com/blog.    For  more  information  about  my  ministry  email  me  at
    tracy@tracybrichards.com.    For  wedding  or  life  celebrant  inquiries  visit
    xolifecelebrations.com
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