Prioritizing Our Dreams

Last year I planted a small vegetable garden on my deck with the hopes of one day having a full garden. Full disclosure, I have lived in apartment buildings or condos all of my life and know nothing of gardening, but a girl can dream, can’t she. I shared my hopes with our neighbor John, even showing him pictures on Pinterest of my dream garden. John quickly sketched a fenced in garden, priced the materials, and went to work building a garden on the back side of our house. John is a doer who gets more done! The structure was completed before the cool temperatures arrived and as soon as Spring was here, he added the fencing and door just in time for me to plant seeds. This was shortly after beginning my pastorate here at FBC.

I immediately went to the nursery and purchased seeds: onions, cantaloupe, peppers, spinach, and two types of tomatoes. I tilled the soil to prepare for planting, and then the rubber of real life hit the road of pastoral ministry. Today marks our 98th day together as Pastor and people and by God’s grace we have been fruitful in such a short amount of time. Needless to say, every time I had time to garden, I opted to watch Hulu or sleep instead. So much time passed that I missed the window of opportunity to grow directly from seed. So I let more time pass until, finally, I purchased some seedlings from the grocery store. I was determined to have my garden, hook or crook.

As I was planting the seedlings this week, the Holy Spirit revealed several things with me that I want to share with you. One, our dreams are possible when we have the right support in place. Two, procrastination can defer and even be the death of dreams. Three, life always happens so we must prioritize our dreams. Four, even when hope seems to be lost or the clock has run out, God always has a measure of grace so our dreams become a reality. Be encouraged and keep dreaming!

In Christ’s Love,

Pastor Donna Owusu-Ansah