Time to Slow Down
Greetings Folks!!
The December chill is upon us and our produce is finally growing at a slower pace. For those of you who have been overflowing with more than enough fresh produce these last two seasons, "less will be more" in Winter. It is nice to hear so many of you say that you are discovering new ways to add more vegetables to your diet. It is fun to try new recipes and eat both nutritious and delicious foods! Don't forget to send your recipes for our recipe section!
Garden Reflections
As I consider this time of year, I can't help but notice the wisdom with which our Great Creator designed each season to be in its own time. King Solomon said it well, "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every delight under heaven -- a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted...He has made everything beautiful in its time...I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in his labor-- it is the gift of God (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2a, 11a, 12-13).
Those of us who no longer live according to the rhythms of agriculture do not slow down during the winter. But oh the wisdom of "down time." There was a reason God thought working six days out of seven was adequate. There is a reason sleeping eight hours out of twenty four is necessary. And there is a reason that plants grow slower in Winter time.
I want to learn from this ancient wisdom. Christmas time has been anything but restful and slow in my life. The hurry and bustle and "should's" and "have to do's" of the holidays have hounded me. But I want to turn around and face this dog that threatens to devour my peace every year. We are buying less of things (okay true, we don't have grandkids yet :) and visiting more of people. We are decorating less on the outside of our home (okay true, I am not allowed to get up on that ladder anymore:) and tending more to the temple of our souls. We are making it a goal to live a more unhurried life.
Whenever I have an unhurried day during the week of Christmas, I feel jubilant! Alan Fadling writes in his book, An Unhurried Life, that "...hurry is impulsive, a knee jerk reaction revealing an 'I'm gonna act now because I may never have another chance' mindset. Temptation seeks to shrink the time between impulse and action...In contrast, wisdom calls us us to be discerning about our impulses and inclinations. Are they prompted by God's Spirit? Are they the Spirit's leading? Or do they have another source" (page 63)?
We Wish You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
May we each have moments of savoring good friends, good food, and unhurried moments this Christmas! We at Wellspring Charitable Gardens wish you a most Blessed Season worshipping the God of the Universe, the Wonderful Counselor, the Infant King Jesus Christ.
