After the genius light bulb goes off in your mind, then comes the work. Wouldn’t it be nice if the moment you thought of a great idea –poof!– it appeared??

As with anything in life, we must put in work. There is the preparation and research phase, the gathering supplies phase, planning and finally actually planting phase. You don’t want to skip steps or rush past any one of them.

Direct from our “Blazing Brook Garden”, I am going to walk you through our journey through each phase. Join me for pics of the growth each week and all the revelations and lessons learned from our garden –for the soul.

Preparation
I did a lot of research regarding specific patio gardens. A lot of time with my trusty friend and wise counsel – YouTube – began. I would listen as a fixed lunch or dinner. As I listened, I was taking notes on my phone.

The Seed |
Taking notes on types of CONTAINER that were the lowest maintenance. THIS was crucial for me. I need something that will almost garden by itself. I kill plants that only need water twice a month. Just being honest.
We ended up with: EarthBox 80155 Planter, Terra from Amazon. This box has its own irrigation system which makes it stand out amongst others.

The next big area to figure out was SOIL. Dirt. I had no idea that dirt was such a big deal but it is. There are so many things that need to be in dirt in order to have it fortified. How intriguing that we have to add so much to dirt to be able to grow things–when dirt is made to grow things. Makes you wonder how much we have taken out of the environment to arrive at a point that high quality dirt is a high commodity.
Ended up with “Miracle Grow: Potting Mix” from Lowe’s.

Next, you gotta have a PLAN for the plantar. My daughter and I had to learn what can grow next to what and how much room it needs to grow. We, literally, had to draw out what each box would have in it. A blueprint for each box is what we came up with. During this phase, we learned how much room each type of plant or flower needed in order to grow properly. Certain seeds couldn’t grow next to or too close to others. We also needed to strategically place the fertilizer in each box, in accordance with our plan.

The Soul |
Gardening is really a metaphor for life. Our own little mini life garden growing on our patio. How important it is to understand the CONTAINER you are in. The container will determine your capacity for growth. What is the maintenance necessary for you? Do you require minimal maintenance or are you high maintenance?

It occurred to me that maybe you have to adjust your container. Does your life feel too high maintenance? Filled with too much stress and anxiety. There is a way to live in peace and joy. I see our containers as our outward, daily systems we have in place. Do they limit us or are they set up in such a way that do not allow for the proper flow in your life? Do you manage your time well? Do you have systems for the routine things that should flow? Or does every little thing take up too much space in your life?

I always tell my teenagers everything is a system. Before you learn anything else in school or elsewhere, figure out the system. Once you do that, you have the key to mastering the substance of anything. If your system requires too much effort, you may need to adjust it. Seek wisdom and guidance regarding how better to achieve flow.

Once you figure out what container you work best in, then you can master anything. Evaluate your systems. From your bedroom, waking up routine, to cleaning, to laundry, to kitchen and meals. We don’t want to spend too much essential energy on daily routines.

Develop a system for them and let them flow in that system. You want your true energy spent on purpose filled, joy giving, and life cultivating activities.

The SOIL is what we surround ourselves with. What does the soil of your life consist of? Look like? Smell like?????? Who does it consist of? When you can honestly answer that, you have begun a higher level analysis of your world.

Any garden and life will only be able to produce fruit in direct correlation to the quality and composition of the soil. I like to think of my life soil as what I surround myself with. What or who do I watch, listen, read, or talk to?

For example, is the primary soil in your life social media? TV shows? What words do you take in daily? What quality of words? Grammar? (now, I’m meddling). Last year, before my 40th birthday, I felt God leading me to make some space in my spirit/mind/soul. I fasted from social media for 40 days! (and yes, I am still alive!).

God showed me how scrolling through so many other people’s lives can subconsciously affect the soil of my life. Instead of hearing my spirit cultivate ideas, or hear the truth about who I am or what I am in this life–all that space was now taken up with comparisons of others or just things that don’t have any consequential effect on me. Instead of space in my brain to create stories and movies that I was meant to create, that space…that precious space was being filled by others. Not bad people. Just not meant for that place inside me that is meant to produce fruit.

There is a something to be said for protecting that holy space within ourselves. That place where only you and God dwell. In this day and age, we have turned that space over. We have not been careful to mind the composition of that space. What we allow in there and what we allow to take up residence, will have direct effects on how fully we live our lives. Will we live from a place of purpose or will we live from a place of observation? That space is the space you produce from. Be mindful of the composition of that space.

Finally, the PLAN.  It’s funny how purposeful we had to be about the garden. What plant went next to which plant. How much space was needed between each one. How much space was needed for the fertilizer and where it needed to go. Do we plan out our lives in the same manner?

How much time is spent determining how close other things are to us? Boundaries need to be set up in our lives. Boundaries from other people and things that aren’t meant to grow near us. Certain plants won’t grow or have enough room to grow if the wrong plant is next to it. Some plants have roots that will choke out other roots.

It’s not a matter of being nice or accommodating in certain situations, it’s a matter of root space. Certain people (plants) require a certain amount of root space to grow and others do not require the same amount of space. If you are not strategically placed with growth and potential in mind, you could be limiting where you can grow.

Good thing God places us in this life. We can trust that. However, he also gives us a free will. This will affect who and what we allow to grow near us. The mere placement of things and people in your life could be affecting your potential. Check your root space!

Be intentional and strategic for your life. Dream and draft the vision. It won’t go exactly according to plan, but if there is no plan or blueprint, you will live very haphazardly. A blueprint demonstrates value. The blueprint can change but needs to have something to evolve from. No building, structure, company or investment starts without a plan. That is the foundational element. And when anything goes wrong, we always go back to the original blueprint.

Your life is the most valuable thing. Preparation for growth is essential. I encourage you to evaluate your container, soil and draft a plan. Then surrender it all to your Maker and watch the magic take place.