Writers, How Does Your Garden Grow?

by Julie Lavender @JLavenderWrites

Every evening recently, my nature-loving hubby, a biologist by trade, spends hours in the backyard turning soil, mulching leaves, spreading seeds, potting plants, and weeding. David carefully chose plants and packets designed to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. 

For the sake of our favorite surname, David picked three varieties of lavender and gingerly placed them in the soil. He chose butterfly weed in shades of amber, tangerine, and marmalade, which according to the package will display a “fiery floral sunset” in my yard. 

David planted a creeping vine, cardinal climber, that promises shades of scarlet and vermilion. Blue carpet lobelia offers splashes of cobalt and azure. Three colors of salvia add additional shades of red, blue, and lavender. 

David tucked dill and parsley in the soil because both are the host plants for black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars, and stuck a paw paw tree seedling in the ground because it is the host plant for zebra swallowtail caterpillars. 

For good measure, my biologist planted pink bee balm and sprinkled seeds from packets labeled “bird and butterfly mix” and “hummingbird mix.” 

When God adds warm days and April showers to David’s hard work, my backyard will be a plethora of pretty, an array of colors to attract a myriad of winged creatures my husband loves.

But I think the ultimate purpose of my floral garden is to bring glory to its Creator, my Heavenly Father. Though the leaves diverge into different shapes on each plant, and the blossoms vary in shape and hue, and the scents differ from bush to plant to flower, each one displays God’s magnificent handiwork. Crafted by His own hand, the flora point back to Him and sway in praise when His breath sends gentle breezes. 

In just a few weeks, my backyard landscape will fulfill the promise in Psalm 66:4, Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs.

As a writer who plants seeds with my words, words that I truly believe are crafted by His own hand and His breath, I believe my garden of stories and articles and devotionals offers heartfelt worship and joyous praise to their Creator. Each one of my projects differs from another in size and shape and hue and fragrance, but their ultimate purpose is to bring glory to God. 

Some of my written offerings may wither or shrivel before sharing their beauty with the world, but perhaps that creation wasn’t meant to launch into the world or maybe the bloom and benefit was meant for me alone. Many of my fragrant words—my Jerusalem blossoms—will entice my family to look to the Holy One. Some of the seeds I plant will take flight and disperse to a neighbor’s yard or even across the creek to another county, my Judaea, so to speak. Like pollen carried on hummingbird beaks and butterfly wings and bumblebee legs, my words could travel to Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

And my garden won’t resemble another writer’s landscape. Which is a good thing, because who wants the boredom of every garden looking exactly the same? 

Writer friend, how is your garden growing this spring? Are your words worshiping Him? Do your projects praise the Heavenly Father? Are your submissions singing glorious songs? 

Offer a spectacular landscape to the Lord this spring. 

PRAY

Ask God what He wants you to write this season. 

PREPARE

Do the work to accomplish God’s purposes in your writing life. That might involve reading, researching, attending conferences, learning more about the craft from others, and a lot of writing and editing. 

PLANT

Send out those writing seeds, through submissions, podcasts, blogs, speaking engagements, or deadline accomplishments for signed contracts.

PRAISE

Worship God with your words; praise Him with every project you pen. 

Tell me about the seeds you’re planting this spring—floral ones in your backyard or figurative ones on your computer. I can’t wait to hear what colors your backyard will boast, especially if plan to grow lavender this season! And I’m even more excited to know how your words will witness in Jerusalem, all of Judaea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

TWEETABLE

Writers, How Does Your Garden Grow? Insight from author @JLavenderWrites on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Julie Lavender can’t wait for the smell of lavender to punctuate her backyard and attract a variety of hummingbirds and butterflies for regular visits. She hopes her writings offer the pleasing aroma of Christ to God, first and foremost, and then to the saved and unsaved in the world around her. She is the author of Children’s Bible Stories for Bedtime—that she thinks would make a wonderful Easter basket treat—and 365 Ways to Love Your Child: Turning Little Moments into Lasting Memories. Connect with her on social media and julielavenderwrites.com.