When we moved to this area in July 2022, my husband was thrilled about the built-in garden on our one-acre property. I’d always thought we’d settle down in a suburban community next to all the conveniences of life. He has always wanted more land for the freedom it would allow. As a military spouse, I found this cumbersome. Afterall, I knew he’d deploy, and I’d be the one left to maintain the property. I was not interested. When we moved to this property, the main thing that I liked was that our commute would be under 15 minutes.
When I first saw the garden, I didn’t see health benefits. I saw something that was going to require my time, and I didn’t want to give it. I even joked the garden would die under my watch because let’s be honest—I didn’t have a green thumb. I’d grown up eating all the convenience foods and wasn’t really taught cooking from scratch, so I was ignorant. Sure, I could follow a recipe and I liked to cook and bake enough—but boxed cake and Hamburger Helper counted as “homemade” in my book.
Within three months of moving in, Fall arrived, and we harvested a good amount from the garden. It was nice to walk through the garden in the evening and my toddler loved eating the cherry tomatoes right off the vine. The previous owners, both retired, had clearly invested a lot of time and love into it. There were tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs—and it was beautiful. But true to my prediction, once the first frost came, everything withered.
Fast forward six months to January 2023. I came down with a migraine that left me dizzy for days combined with the flu—and for two weeks I was out of commission. All I had energy for was binge-watching YouTube videos, in the dark, in my PJs on the couch. That’s when I stumbled across The Homestead Acre with Becky. Her casual, freestyle approach to gardening caught my attention. She would just throw seeds out and see what grew. Sprinkled throughout her videos were little details about the health benefits of growing your own food. I was captivated.
I started researching our food system, the benefits of homegrown food, and the art of preserving the harvest. For the first time, I felt like I was uncovering something sacred—and a little rebellious: what if we could grow our own food and reclaim our health? If I could make my own vegetable chips, I could cut seed oils, food colorings and preservatives.
Something stirred deep within me and my priorities shifted.
Still, while sick, I began talking with God about this new desire, and I felt a clear conviction in my spirit. Not an audible voice, but a strong impression:
“Why would I give you more if you can’t steward what I’ve already given you?”
I was stunned. I was reminded of Jesus’ parable:
“You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many.” Matthew 25:21
I realized I wasn’t waiting on God—He was waiting on me to be faithful with what I already had.
We were already living on an acre of land, which was bigger than our first 2 homes. (We’re military and move every 3 years or so). In this home, I had a 400-square-foot garden plot, room to grow, and every opportunity to start. That realization changed everything.
When Luke came home that evening, I eagerly shared with him my conviction and said, “I think my diet may contribute to how crummy I’m feeling. I want to learn to garden!” He chuckled, probably surprised. I had sworn we’d be a suburb family – and here I was a complete 180 in less than a day!?
I found myself making plans for the next home. Since we’d just moved to that area, we wouldn’t be up for a new assignment for another 2 years, maybe. I was disheartened… I’d have to wait to realize my dream until we had way more land and more time.
One day, I heard Jess Sowards say on her Roots and Refuge podcast:
“Turn your waiting room into a classroom.”
Three Lessons Waiting Taught Me
- Patience Builds Perseverance
- I couldn’t rush seed germination, and I couldn’t rush spiritual growth. Both need time, nurturing and trust to accumulate. In some ways, the waiting made me appreciate the fruits of my labor that much more. It also led me to desire to use my food wisely. I cringe when I think back to the MANY times I threw out spoiled food because I didn’t want to spend time preparing it. Did you know, in the U.S., approximately 30-40% of our food supply is wasted annually? This equates to roughly 92 billion pounds of food, according to Feeding America.
I remember the day I discovered a wilted squash plant—only to find a tiny zucchini hiding beneath the leaves two days later. Waiting taught me to look below the surface. In your own waiting season, pause before you pull up the roots. Ask God for eyes to see the life He’s nurturing out of sight.
- I couldn’t rush seed germination, and I couldn’t rush spiritual growth. Both need time, nurturing and trust to accumulate. In some ways, the waiting made me appreciate the fruits of my labor that much more. It also led me to desire to use my food wisely. I cringe when I think back to the MANY times I threw out spoiled food because I didn’t want to spend time preparing it. Did you know, in the U.S., approximately 30-40% of our food supply is wasted annually? This equates to roughly 92 billion pounds of food, according to Feeding America.
- Preparation Precedes Possession
- God used my “school of waiting” to equip me—through research, trial-and-error, even migraine recovery—to handle more when the time came. With each season in the garden, my confidence grew and so did my ability to steward what was given to me. That little conviction I felt was the catalyst and it sparked us into motion to learn and practice in the garden.
- The first time I tried canning jars of strawberry jam, several sealed but one didn’t. I learned that even in the failure I was still able to eat the jam. I just put it in the fridge right away. Even that little “failure” taught me more than any success. *You can find the recipe I used here at Ball Mason Jar’s website.
- “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…” (Colossians 3:23).
- Let your preparation be worship. Every mistake, every triumph, every lesson learned is part of the harvest God is growing in you.
- Small Steps Keep the Dream Alive
- That single garlic clove or counter-top seed station reminded me that faithfulness in the little things leads to big harvests. Learning how to cultivate garlic led to my interest in companion planting, which led to pest repellant research and so on. There’s still much to learn.
In my first full year of intentionally growing, I learned so much! I still remember the first dinner where we all sat down to roughly 80% homegrown food, it was surreal. Or, watching my daughter’s eyes light up at her first strawberry harvest reminded me why this journey matters. My husband and I have found conversations over cold iced tea on the porch more meaningful as we talk about our hopes and prayers for this little patch of earth. Gardening has become our family chapel—a place of work, worship, and wonder. Not because of the food itself, but because of what it represented: perseverance, obedience, preparation, and trust.
Now, as we prepare to move to our “forever home,” I’m letting this garden go freely. Volunteers are already popping up—lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, herbs—and I think it will be a beautiful gift for the next family. What was once a beginner’s experiment has become a haven, and I hope the next homeowners cherish this just as much as I have.
The new property only has three small, raised beds with some herbs, but I’m dreaming big! While I haven’t even stepped foot on the property yet, Luke has, and he’s smitten. We’ve been daydreaming about what we want to do to the property and how we might use the extra space. I’ve been imagining where the sunlight hits, where the soil needs amending, and how we’ll grow as a family there—spiritually and literally.
Nurture that dream!
If you’re nurturing a dream to start a garden here’s a simple 3-step action plan if you’re still in the waiting room:
- Identify Your “Garden Plot”
What small resource, skill, or habit can you nurture right now? - Pray for Faith to Begin
Use Matthew 25:21 as a prayer: “Make me faithful in these few things.” - Take One Tiny Action
Order seeds, save $5 toward your dream, carve out 10 minutes to read about your passion.
You can check out my free 7-Day Devotional, called “Tending the Dream” here. I hope you love it – and I’d love your feedback too!
Give your Dreams to God
When your prayers are answered, pray for the discipline to keep them and the wisdom to multiply them. In the meantime, don’t waste a single season. Let your waiting become your classroom: a place to learn, to grow, and to deepen your trust in the Gardener. Whatever “acre” you’ve been given—your kitchen counter, your current job, your handful of free minutes—tend it faithfully. Because in the end, faithfulness in the small things is exactly how God prepares us for the big dreams to come.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for every season You have for us—planting, waiting, growing, and harvesting. Help us to steward what You’ve given, obey each step, and bloom where You’ve planted us. As we walk forward in faith, may our homes, gardens, and hearts reflect Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let’s keep walking this path together—one intentional step at a time. If you’d like to connect with me, you can do so in the comments or look me up on social media. I have a blog page on Instagram @The_Graceful_Hearth. Or you can email me your thoughts/questions at ThegracefulHearth@gmail.com
Until next time,
