Gardens have long served as rich spaces for contemplating God’s beauty and creativity. However, it wasn’t until I tried creating a garden of my own that I was able to gain a deeper understanding of some basic truths.

Sowing Discipline

Most seed packets have similar instructions, no matter what you are trying to grow. Shortly after the seeds sprout, you must thin them down to the ideal density for that particular plant. Yes, you must pull up your seedlings just as they are beginning to take off. 

I didn’t understand the purpose of such a destructive step. It felt wasteful, and I also fretted that I would need as many seedlings as I could get to ensure success when something inevitably went wrong.

So, I didn’t pull up the seedlings. And then... the plants didn’t grow. Some turned long and spindly, and a few developed greenery, but they never grew strong enough to flower. Eventually, they wilted and faded away. 

Turns out, for any of those seeds to reach their full potential, a few of the weaker ones need to be sacrificed to ensure enough resources for the remaining plants. 

One of the disciplines of gardening is letting go of some little things in order to achieve a bigger dream. It's the artist's dilemma of needing to "killing your darlings." What other areas of my life am I afraid to let go, and how are they preventing me from reaching my best potential?

Such sprouts are not necessarily bad in themselves, but they can keep productive growth from happening.  If you have ever over-committed yourself, you may be able to relate.  In that case, the best course may be to dive into the one project where you can make the most impact, and set the rest aside—, rather than spreading yourself thin and failing to make much of an impact on any project at all.

Cultivating Growth

Seed packets also give instruction for the right growing environment for each plant—appropriate soil types, pot sizes, water and light conditions. Being limited in what I can provide on my balcony, I have often tried planting in spaces I knew were not ideal, hoping unreasonably for the best. 

Often, something does grow and might even bloom beautifully for a while - only to turn leggy as it searches for light or diseased from lack of drainage. In that case, even the soil must be thrown out so it won’t infect future plantings.

There’s a lot we can’t control in our gardens that might undermine our work, but in these cases, the fault was all mine. I could never realistically expect ideal results from bad circumstances.

How else am I creating conditions that work against my best efforts? Am I setting myself up for frustration by expecting an outcome that is not likely? As one example, I enjoy listening to the radio when I work. However, I dare not put on my favorite music, or I will be too distracted to get anything worthwhile done. The result is exasperation when I make preventable mistakes or fail to complete my tasks.

And just as every plant has its own unique requirements to thrive, I would do well to remember that what works best for others may not work best for me—and vice versa.

Bearing Good Fruit

Finally, as with so many hobbies, there comes a point where gardening is less a pastime and more an investment—of time at a minimum and money if you get carried away. For me, it is also an investment of patience, requiring I wait weeks to see the outcome of my work. It is an investment of dedication, to keep going despite the heat and humidity and insects. 

Gardening requires perseverance to not give up when fighting things out of my control, like the freeze that destroyed my morning glories last year. I must have faith that even if everything falls apart and I end up with a balcony full of dead plants that the effort was worthwhile in itself.

Truth be told, my balcony garden looks puny right now. But despite the challenges, I haven’t come close to throwing in the trowel yet—pun intended. Gardening remains rewarding because I still believe I can develop something beautiful. In the meantime, I enjoy the process of learning as well.

What long-term vision can I focus on in other areas of my life to feel hopeful and motivated to work for the future? How else can I grow the faithful confidence that no matter the outcome, my labors are still meaningful? These questions take time and reflection to answer, especially when considered in the context of your ministry vocation. But no matter your distinct mix of personality and situation, a good starting point is the seed packet of God’s Word.

I think the perspective shared in 2 Corinthians 4: 17-18 is helpful - “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Ultimately, in all things, we may find renewal in God’s presence, and in the trust that His redeeming work has made our labors worth the sweat.

Briana Perea has been an Administrative Assistant at UBA since 2018. She supports the financial and chief of staff offices.