The meme used for the feature photo made me chuckle when I saw it. Slowly shaking my head these words fell from my lips, “Isn’t that the truth.”
The neighbor behind me is preparing to plant a garden. Three raised beds have been in that backyard for more years than I’ve lived here and have grown some magnificent weeds. A couple of years ago, a man moved in and chopped down all of the weeds. He covered the inner area of each raised bed with paper bags and that winter he added a layer of cardboard from his moving boxes that had been cut open to lay flat.
For a year, when I stood by the windows of my writing room, I’d look down to see the raised beds in my neighbor’s backyard, covered with cardboard. From the elements, they began to fade from brown to off white and the edges began to curl. A week ago, I looked out the windows to see the layer of cardboard was gone and all that remained was really good soil. This weekend he began tilling the soil.
I was elated! I’ve been hoping he’d plant a garden! I walked over to share in the excitement with him, but he had it all planned ever since laying the first layer of paper bags. He was patient in preparing the beds for what’s to come and he did what he could with what he had to make the most of what’s there.
That’s how God works in my life.
He invited me inside to share what he planned on planting, and I followed him over to a wooden table where he had the seed packets laid out perfectly. There were the same number of packets lined up across as there were down, creating a square. I could see this guy was a planner and what he started a year ago with paper bags and cardboard, didn’t look like much, but now comes next steps.
I’m excited to see my backyard neighbor planting this garden, and offered to help, but my favorite part will be watching it grow. Not all seeds produce, but we sow every seed given. We do our part prayerfully considering each step, but once we’ve done all we know to do and used what’s at our disposal, that’s a good time to take a step back… to give God room.
Inbarbsworld 
4 responses to “Give God Room”
the meme seems to indicate that there is no free will, a common disagreement within christianity.
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Well….it is a meme, so I don’t take them too seriously. Thanks to Adam and Eve, God left us with free will, but I find comfort in knowing if my plan doesn’t align with His, there will be no fruit.
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Unurprisngly, your bible says there is no free will, with both jesus and paul stating that this god has already chosen who it will allow to accept it and then damns everyone else for no action of their own, Matthew 13 and Romans 9.
In eden, this god gave no free will, but cursed all of humanity which means no one has a choice to be damned or not through original sin. Your bible also shows how this god offers no free will since it had to mind control the pharaoh, in its need to show off:
“”21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.” Exodus 4
” 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.”” Exodus 7
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We can agree to disagree, but I’m not getting into a scripture debate with you over a meme. In Eden they did have the will to choose, and made a choice to follow temptation instead of God’s plan for them. Yes, he cursed mankind where women will have painful childbirth and man will till the soil for food, but we get to choose how to live this life we’re given, every day.
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