DEVOTION- Tetris Gardening
More does not produce better
My vegetable garden looks different this year than it has in the past. Before kids, we had a fenced-in 12 x 20ft plot that grew everything we ate. With young kids, we had two, 4 x 6ft raised beds that the girls could snack in. In our new house there are no places in the yard with enough sun for an in-ground vegetable garden. Instead, I resorted to an above-ground, tiered planter on the sunny side of our concrete patio. The two boxes are 1 x 4 feet, but I was determined to pack in as much as I could into the tiny space.
In those 8 square feet I planted 8 tomato plants, 12 cucumber plants, 4 banana peppers, 4 bush beans, 4 yellow squash and leaf lettuce. Is this a marvel of tetris perfection or a disaster waiting to happen? Either way, I was determined not to deprive my garden of any plant, no matter what the size limitation.
A month later, my plants are tall and leggy with yellow leaves crowding out the surrounding plants. That is only the beginning of my problems.
Caterpillars that start on one plant infest them all, easily traveling from one to the other.
Plants wilt daily without watering as they compete for moisture in the soil.
Water on the leaves stays trapped and wet, allowing diseases to grow.
Ripe vegetables hide until long past their time and rot off the plants.
I trim back every unnecessary leaf, water close to the dirt to keep from wetting the plants, pick off caterpillars hiding in the dense jungle, and search for ripe vegetables, but it’s a lot of work for a mediocre harvest.
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, “This man began to build and was not able to finish.” … So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Luke 14:28-30, 33 NIV
We tend to play the same game of tetris in our lives as I do in the garden. We believe the world’s anthem that more is better. More exercise, more water, more rest, more social events, more education, more money, more square footage, more resources, more influence, more emotional intelligence, more style, more followers. More!
We forget that we have limitations. More of everything doesn’t equal better results. How often do we say yes to a project or challenge without considering the cost of time and energy that it will take away from other areas of our lives? How often do we start something and limp across the finish line or never finish at all because we didn’t think about whether our capacity could handle what was required?
When it comes to following Christ, the Bible makes it clear that there is a high cost. It will cost us everything. We will have to choose between our will and God’s will over and over, and if we want to build a life with Jesus as the foundation, it will mean saying no to ourselves. We can’t surrender to Him and seek our own desires. Trying to do both will make us come up short every time.
I should probably pull up half the plants from my vegetable garden to give the others a fighting chance, but I can’t make myself do it. There is fruit on those plants. Small, struggling fruit, but still!
If it is this difficult to uproot non-priorities when talking about vegetables, how much more of a challenge is it to release the parts of our lives that we treasure at the core of our identity? It is impossible to shed them without Christ, but the reward is worth it. Fixing our energy and resources on His purpose will ensure that we complete our goal.
Father, I have tried to fit everything into my life. I have struggled to follow you and pursue my own desires as well. Give me the discipline and determination to pull out every piece of my life that isn’t in line with your will. I want my biggest achievement to be following you well.
What do I need to renounce in order to build a life obedience to Christ?
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See you next week. God Bless!
Erin Greneaux
Oh I loved this! Simplifying life so we have more room for what God is desiring from us. I love that you used your little garden to bring across a really important truth! Thank you so much!