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Gardening for the Soul // Audrey

I love the fruit of the garden. 

The physical "fruit", healthy & delicious, sitting before us at the dinner table. But more importantly, the spiritual "fruit", birthed during the time of hands in the dirt, eyes opened wide, and a soul becoming deeply nourished. 

After spending weeks on the road, we came home to a garden needing much tending. In this Alabama climate, lets just say, a lot took place. 

First, we harvested what we could. Much of the fruit, not being picked in time, rotted on the vine. Then, with fall fast approaching, we pulled up all the plants to prepare the garden for a season of rest. 

Once that was completed, we pulled all the weeds which had taken over & choked out much of the plants' nutrients. Some of the weeds were extremely difficult to pull, because the roots had grown so deep. (And yes, you must pull all the weeds by their roots or they will just grow back with vengeance.) This took hours and hours of work, which is what happens when you don't keep the garden daily maintained. 

Before spreading the ground cover, we had to till the soil. This was hard work because the ground had grown hard over time, but in order for the seed to take root, we had to break up the soil. Lastly, we spread the rye seed over the nicely tilled soil. 

As the winter rye grows, nutrients will return back to the soil this fall season. We won't be planting any vegetables or expecting any fruit this fall, it is time for the ground to rest. The benefit will be very rewarding as winter will turn to spring and the soil will be rich and ready to bear much greater fruit.

Isn't all this true for the gardening of our soul? If I spend weeks not in the Word, or in prayer, or in worship etc., my soul becomes in dire need of being tended to. 

The weeds of life start choking out my passion & desires to serve the Lord. I begin to spiritually starve. The fruit that isn't put to use for what it was created for, rots & withers. Sin takes root and if not kept in check, the roots will just keep growing deeper. The longer sin stays in my life the harder it will be to root out. (And yes, sin must be pulled out by the root...or it will just keep coming back with vengeance.)

How painful yet fruitful for our lives when our hearts become tilled. Turning over that soil deep within that may have grown hard or resistant over time. But then! Our sweet Savior comes in spreading seed that will take root and allow our souls to find rest & nourishment. Abiding in order to bear fruit. 

I'm thankful for the many lessons my Father never ceases to teach me. I want to keep my hands humbly in the soil where I can be continuously fed. Call me simple, I guess, but may we never stop "gardening the soul".

- Audrey McElveen

Abide // Audrey

I've been thinking about some of what I believe I've been learning during this season of my life.

With the birth of Arrow, along with other struggles taking place at the same time, forced a halt on the full-steam-ahead lifestyle. This inspired me to choose present over perfect, like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, instead of being Martha, scrambling to try to be a perfect host. Like Peter jumping out of the boat to be with Jesus instead of working out his perfect logic. To be with Christ and to abide in Him, can have miraculous outflow. To be a present mommy to Arrow, instead of trying to be a perfect mommy, gives me freedom. To be a present wife, instead of the perfect wife empowers me. To really listen with my heart instead of trying to first formulate a perfect response, I am given room to grow and feel.

I think at the end of my life, I can look back and be full of joy & peace, knowing that I was there, present, and walking close in Spirit & abiding with my Savior. I can know I was at rest with putting down the measuring stick, or I could look back, saddened by the fact that I missed so much by never resting in Christ's love for me. I don't want to give up perfect peace and choose, instead, to wrestle the beast of perfection and be worn out, never to have attained it. A yearning to be with Christ and in Christ will make me more like Christ. A yearning to be perfect like Christ, apart from His presence, apart from abiding and resting in Him, leaves me worn, tired and empty. For in our own strength we fail, but with Him we find fullness of joy and life abundant.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

- Audrey McElveen