I moved to North Carolina from New York State about a year ago now. I would not consider myself to be a green thumb, by any means of the word. Its a little embarrassing actually, because my name is Lily… But anyway…. I do like to have a small vegetable garden every year. Usually just a planter garden.
There has been a very steep learning curve to growing here in North Carolina. There have been so many things that I did not anticipate or even have knowledge of when I moved here. Mostly my fault for not doing enough thorough research before planting here and trying to rely on the small amount of knowledge I had from growing back in New York State. I got this right?
It is no mistake that the Lord uses growth, plants, wheat, soil, and weeds in His parables. They are easily applied to peoples lives and the Lord has taught me a few things through one of His parables on wheat and my own garden.
Sower of the Cockle
Another parable He proposed to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is likened to a man that sowed good seed in his field. But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat and went his way. And when the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle. And the servants of the goodman of the house coming said to him: Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? Whence then hath it cockle?
And he said to them: An enemy hath done this. And the servants said to him: Wilt thou that we go and gather it up?
And he said: No, lest perhaps gathering up the cockle, you root up the wheat also together with it. Suffer both to grow until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather up first the cockle, and bind it into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather ye into my barn.” -Matthew 13:24-30
My Contemplation
I walk in a plowed field with the Lord, Jesus. He has a satchel full of seed slung across His shoulder. We walk slowly along, and I watch as He reaches into the satchel and skillfully throws it out, spreading it evenly over the soil.
I watch as a figure, hunched, cloaked, and dark makes its way onto the plowed field. It begins to seed over the seed the Lord had just sown. I watch in horror as the figure tramples, so carelessly, the good seed that had been planted. I look to Jesus in dismay, but I can see He is decided. He will allow it.
I stand with Him as the figure disappears, and we watch the field over the course of time. Sort of like a time lapse video. The wheat sprouts and grows. Then the hideous weeds sprout and choke out much of the wheat. A field that should have been a sea of gold, was patchy and plagued with the malady of the weeds.
“It will be a poor harvest,” I say to Him. He moves forward over the field, watering and fertilizing the wheat and the weeds the same. The weeds seem to reject His tender care and grow uglier, while the wheat is sustained and strengthened by it. He calls me over and shows that even though it grew next to the weeds the wheat was strong, healthy, and unblemished.
Gardening in North Carolina vs. New York
This spring I collected all my usual supplies to plant my little vegetable planter garden. I got planters, seeds, fertilizer, and potting mix. Being on my typical NY planting timeline I was actually already a month behind compared to the NC timeline. But late is better than never I suppose. So, I planted everything like I would have back in New York. Plant, water, leave it alone. Maybe weed occasionally. Water consistently. No problem. Harvest my goodies as they are ready.
But this didn’t work for North Carolina. I lost several plants to pests that I had no idea even existed! Vine borers? Never heard of such a thing! We don’t have those back in New York. All these crazy caterpillars and beetles that I have never seen or heard of before. Let me tell you, I don’t like bugs anyway…. So the crazy ones I am seeing here makes me feel like I need to live in an underground bunker.
Then, some of my plants were plagued with some weird yellowing that I have yet to really figure out. There just seemed to be so many opinions and possibilities. Too much water, not enough water, too much fertilizer, needs more fertilizer, mold, disease? The problems were endless.
It definitely made me homesick for New York, where growing things was so much easier.
What is my point here? I have a few in relation to my contemplation.
1. We are created to be wheat
The Lord created us in His image and likeness.
“The noblest creature God has placed on earth is man.” -Catechism Saint Pius X, p. 11, Question 27.
We were created for Him and Him alone. Our souls were made to be united to Him. And He sows His graces abundantly for our aid in accomplishing our ultimate goal, which is unity with Him. He so longs for us to remain wheat under His care. It is through our sins that we make ourselves as weeds and separate ourselves from Him.
Where are have you separated yourself from God? Make a list and ask the Holy Mother for help in removing those sins from your life.
2. We must be diligent.
I have learned while living here that I have to be much more diligent in my little veggie garden than I was back in New York. It was just so much easier there than it is here. In North Carolina it is almost a constant battle. Pests, mold, disease… the issues are endless it seems.
The same goes for our souls and spiritual lives. There will be times when we need to be more diligent than others. There were be times when getting up early to meditate on scripture will be easy, and there will be times when it is like pulling teeth to get up early enough. But we need to try to conquer ourselves in disciple to fight the world, the flesh, and the devil. We must remain watchful and vigilant, so as to combat the workings of the enemy, who wants to sow “bad seed” in our hearts, in order to have us grow as weeds.
What areas are you lacking in getting things done? How are things in your spiritual life? Easy? Hard? Where do you see the devil working against you?
3. We must water and fertilize our souls.
The plants need certain things to grow: water, soil, nutrients. Back in NY the soil is much more rich than it is here. I rarely had to fertilize there. Whereas, here I have learned that a regular fertilizing schedule is essential.
Our souls, also, need a regular fertilizing schedule. But not all water and fertilizer is created equal. My most committed sin is that of gluttony. I am a stress eater. I seek to heal my emptiness with food rather than the life giving grace of the Lord.
Our souls need to be nurtured and cared for by the Almighty God. This is done through attending Mass, receiving the sacraments (Especially the Eucharist), and through prayer.
How much time have you spent in quiet prayer with the Lord lately? Are you speaking to Him throughout your day? When was the last time you went to confession?
4. We must be content to live among the weeds.
I definitely struggle with this one. My constant prayer is:
“Lord, I surrender it all to You. You take care of it.” Adapted from the Surrender Novena
I want to be in control. I want to know what is going to happen so I can make plans and arrangements. I struggle to be flexible and “going with the flow.” I like a schedule and I like things to go as planned.
But we live in a fallen world. Therefore, we are forced to live as “wheat among the cockle.” We all have stressors, situations out of our control, and crosses to carry. Be content anyway. Do your best not to lose your peace in any situation, but instead hand it all over to the Lord, and let Him take care of it.
What can you surrender to God today? What ways can you bring your peace back? What is your favorite little prayer to recite throughout the day?
Meditation from St. Teresa of Avila
Here is a wonderful exert from The Life of Teresa of Jesus (XI) that I think sheds a lot of light on this topic of gardens, growth, watering, and the Lord.
“The beginner must think of himself as of one setting out to make a garden in which the Lord is to take His delight, yet in soil most unfruitful and full of weeds. His majesty uproots the weeds and will set good plants in their stead. Let us suppose that this is already done- that a soul has resolved to practice prayer and has already begun to do so. We have now, by God’s help, like good gardeners, to make these plants grow, and to water them carefully, so that they may not perish, but may produce flowers which shall send forth great fragrance to give refreshment to this Lord of ours, so that He may often come into the garden to take His pleasure and have His delight among these virtues.
Let us now consider how this garden can be watered, so that we may know what we have to do, what labour it will cost us, if the gain will outweigh the labour, and for how long this labour must be borne. It seems to me that the garden can be watered in four ways: by taking the water from the well, which costs us great labour; or by a water-wheel and buckets, when the water is drawn by a windlass. (I have sometimes drawn it in this way: it is less laborious than the other and gives more water); or by a stream or a brook, which waters the ground much better, for it saturates it more thoroughly and there is less need to water it often, so that the gardener’s labour is much less; or by heavy rain, when the Lord waters it with no labour of ours, a way incomparably better than any of those which have been described.”
The Lord showed me that I may be “in the weeds,” stressed and overwhelmed in my life, but He is there to tend to me. He created me to be completely His and has placed me in the field which He tends. Will I grow as a blade of wheat or as a weed? That is up to the gift of my free will and how I choose to use it.
Thrive in Jesus, my Friends!
What do you find waters and fertilizes your soul? How can you let the Lord tend to you this week? What steps can you take to be more diligent in growing in virtue?
Leave a comment and let me know!
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