Sunflowers, Spinach, and Community

Have you ever wished for something, but never really pursued it becaused it seems frivolous?

 I've always wished for a greenhouse. But with all of the practical things that we need to do...I've never even put a greenhouse on our list.. Besides,  our yard is very shady,so a greenhouse seemed out of the question.

 But sometimes our wishes come true in ways we could never have imagined. It all started when we began  attending a new church...Methodist.. That's a long way away from this girl's Pentecostal roots. But it felt right. It so happens that this church hosts a community garden spot. (I've always thought that churches should use their grounds for community gardens, their classrooms for all kinds of education, their kitchens for feeding the hungry, and their libraries should be open to all. Why oh, why, should a lovely facility sit idle for most of the week when it could be used for so many purposes?) So I joined the community garden group. Then at our first meeting I discovered that our local middle school had offered space in their greenhouse for our gardening group to start plants. Just think...a church and a school, working hand in hand for the good of the community.
How lovely is that?

 So this afternoon I took my seed packets down to the local middle school where Alyce showed me the finer points of greenhouse gardening.

 That's Alyce.

 Some of our members planted seedlings two weeks ago. Look what sprouted!

 Pamela stopped in to plant her sweetpeas! She'd gathered the pods from last year's crop. Alyce stayed busy separating and transplanting starts while I planted Walla Walla sweet onions, wild Kale, Sunflowers, Zinnias, spinach, lettuce and lettuce. Next week...tomatoes and peppers.

This experience is teaching me that we needn't always strive and struggle to obtain things we long for. Jesus says that our Heavenly Father knows what things we need, before we ask him. I never asked for a greenhouse. And though I still don't own one, I have access to one...and it cost me nothing.

I'm also learning some things about  gardening...and about community.