reaping and sowing.

gardening is one of the things i enjoy most. herb gardens. flower gardens. vegetable gardens. i love going to farmer's markets, talking with the farmers, tasting and seeing the beautiful produce made with love. growing my own ingredients to make delicious meals to share with friends. and there is something so therapeutic about digging my hands in dirt, and planting deep. i have lofty dreams of having a farm with a bed & breakfast and a huge garden, combining my two favorite things: food and people.

i've been thinking about farming/gardening a lot lately, more specifically - reaping and sowing. i feel like we can learn so much from farmers. patience. tenderness. faithfulness. discipline. sacrifice. they go months without seeing any results from their labor. and i've been thinking about how this relates to relationships in my life.

planting seeds, watering the seeds, tenderly watching to make sure there is enough sun but not too much, and waiting. and waiting. until there is the tiniest little sprout. fruit. and it's the same with people, you have to nuture the relationships in your life or they will wither and die. and you'll wake up one day, and wonder what exactly happened. plant and water your marriage, give a little sunlight to your friendships - even your parents and siblings. whether that looks like a simple phone call, willing to have the tough and intimate conversations, serving them, praying for them, sending a little card in the mail - just to let them know that you are thinking about them. learn their love language. be the kind of friend you would love to have. be the kind of spouse you would love to have. be the sister you would love to have. don't be afraid to dive in deep and give all the love that you can.

you may not see results - fruit for awhile - but in season all things bloom.