Lessons from the August Garden
Lessons from the August Garden is a post I wrote for Kingdom Edge magazine in 2020 – I’m republishing it here in August 2025.
Lessons from the August Garden
The dog days of summer are here. I love gardening, but August can be a challenging month for me as a gardener. My veggie garden, flowerbeds, and containers are all desperate for water in hot, humid, and dry August days, often for weeks in a row with no relief.
As soon as I finish my hot tea and One Year Bible reading, I start each day with my watering can. It takes several trips to water all my containers on my porches, as well as the ones in my flowerbeds. Then I turn on the drip hoses in the veggie garden. They deliver water in a slow, steady stream.
I’ve learned the hard way that daily watering is a must. If I skip a day, the leaves look withered. Flowers look droopy. Veggies scream for moisture and are more prone to infections and insect infestations.
August is no time to slow down my watering schedule. It’s important to water as early as possible each day, so roots are equipped to nourish plants while the hot sun beats down.
Watering is also essential for my third gardening season. It’s possible here in Missouri to have a fall garden. It feels ironic to plant squash, peas, spinach, and broccoli during the blazing heat of August. But August is the crucial time to plant these seeds so I can reap a harvest. If I fail to water these new sprouts, there is no chance they will produce before the hard freezes arrive in October and November.
Two Lessons from the August GardenI’ve learned several spiritual lessons from my years of gardening in August.
The first one is that I am more nourished when I drink the living water of God’s Word every day. First thing in the morning works best for me, because the Holy Spirit uses Scripture to speak to me throughout the day.
If I skip a day (and this happens to all of us), I notice signs of wilting in my spiritual life. I tend to complain more, snap at my loved ones, and let my mind travel to tempting places without the guard of God’s Word. By spending 10 minutes reading, meditating upon, and studying God’s Word during the morning, I’m better protected against discouragement, drought, and spiritual attacks.
The second lesson is the importance of planting at just the right time for a future harvest. As a mom of three children, I have ample opportunities to plant seeds of faith in them. It’s tempting to shrug off this responsibility due to the busyness of life. I need to plant them right now, in this current season, and trust that God will reap a harvest later as I continue to water them.
This lesson also applies to my own life. When I seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance daily through prayer, I become more aware of His direction and wisdom for real-time situations. For example, if I pray before I leave my home, I feel more loving toward others and better prepared to build others up rather than tear them down with my words or actions.
When I forget to “water” my words and actions in this current season, I miss opportunities to share Jesus with others. This is a harvest I want to participate in, and I must engage daily in my current season for the maximum amount of spiritual fruit.
You may or may not be a gardener. Yet you can also apply these lessons from the August garden. Water your mind and heart with God’s Word every day, and you’ll see your faith grow. Be intentional in your faith in this current season, and you’ll reap a bountiful harvest with God’s help.
You can also listen to the podcast version here:
Lessons from the August garden - good for both gardeners and non-gardeners. #gardening #spiritualgrowth #christianliving
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