Edibles, by Will

As I've been reflecting on the retreat and the last three posts summarizing the bulk of our discussion that Saturday night, I've found some application in a hobby of mine. I like edible landscaping. This is exactly what it sounds like, you landscape with plants that produce edible food. I like edible landscaping because it's both practical and efficient. The plants you invest time in serve two purposes of decorating your yard, and feeding you, giving you a return on your time.

If you were to go to my house you would see fruit trees and berry bushes around my yard. Every plant I have put in is an edible. My front yard has apple, plum, peach and pawpaw trees, and a mulberry to feed the birds so they leave the rest of my stuff alone. I also have rapsberries, blueberries, and gogi berries. In the back yard I have strawberries, cranberries, and pineberries. There is also my garden bed which needs so much work, and a spot I used for herbs but my dog keeps digging it up, so right now it's full of weeds.

Edible landscaping is a lot like this journey we are on. It takes intentionality. Plants need a lot of work. They have to be pruned, feed, and weeded in order to produce.

Edible landscaping doesn't happen by accident. You have to plan where to plant things for sun light and water drainage. You have to select the right pollinators and take precautions against the wild life.

Edible landscaping serves as an outpouring of blessing. I prefer to plant edibles over decorative plants because I get a direct return. I don't buy berries, I pick them. I made a one time purchase that saves me money in the long run.

I find that God speaks to us in the things we are passionate about, making direct correlations to them. God is deeply personal, and created each of us as unique individuals with passions, interests, and gifts specific to us. With the proper care and development, these things can result in a fruitful harvest, and blessing for others.

This year we are focused on discipline and development, resulting in healing and fruitfulness, and it is a journey we are on together. In my yard are two plum trees. One is alive but not producing, and one is dead. The dead one is the result of my own error, I planted it too close to low spot in my yard, and the roots are too wet. The live one is barren because it needs the dead one to pollinate it. When each of us is growing and developing, when each of us is diligent to help each other pull the weeds that try to choke us out, and be properly fed, fruit is able to be produced.

I keep thinking of the parable of sower found in Matthew 13.3-9:

"And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, 'Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.'"

There are so many things in this world trying to keep us from developing and producing the harvest, just like there are so many factors working against my landscape. This is why we have our fellowship, but the fellowship only works if each one of us is committed to our own growth, and investing in each other.

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!