Growing Something New

We planted packaged vegetable seeds indoors in March. In Colorado, it can snow until Memorial Day. Snow and hail make for a harsh environment for new seeds to grow. So we coddled them in a sunlight window in our basement to stage our new dream garden. As part of our life reboot, we envisioned growing fresh food out our back door. I was completely ambushed by the metaphor that gardening creates for growing new good things in life.

Here’s what I learned. Growing a garden from seeds is a lot like attempting to make positive changes and start something new in my life. At first, your idea starts as a whisper, a dream- a tiny seed. Tucked into a fold of soil, the dream shows no signs of growth. Wait. Wait. Patience. Time. Continual gentle exposure to the sun and then a glimpse of green appears. Tiny springtime shoots cluster together. As soon as I saw green, I wanted to rush them outside and plant them. But they were too fragile. Too much water, the wind or the sun and they would shrivel.

I was frustrated by this phase like I am frustrated by how long it takes in life to develop a new healthy habit. I can develop a bad habit in a week, but filling in a healthily sustainable shift in my life takes weeks and months. Maybe you can relate.

• Believing in what we are doing even when we can’t find any new green buds.
• Not allowing our hearts to be discouraged when growth takes longer than we expect.
• Embracing that not every shoot of green will mature to produce fruit.
• Celebrate the victories and choose gratitude for the harvest.