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Every year in January, I’m reminded to take a moment (or many) to plan my goals for my little farm. There’s no grand resolution or major lifestyle change, but an ever growing, evolving, and learning process to improve.

 January is “big picture” plans and organizing. I determine what seeds need to be ordered and what I can find at my local garden center. We enjoy trying new things (have you ever had multi-colored tomatoes?) but need to ensure there’s room for the staples that we will preserve for winter. Additionally, I review what went well last year and what needs improvement.

 Much like my garden, my family and faith need planning. We take camping trips, have family birthday and anniversary parties, and school and work. With all these commitments, it’s important to make sure we have the time and opportunity to attend Mass, religious education classes for the children, and daily prayer. This year, my oldest daughter will be making her First Reconciliation and First Communion. These life events need preparation, and we have been blessed with a wonderful religious education team that makes this new adventure attainable. My daughter has anxiety around new people and new events, so planning and preparation is doubly important for her to be able to relax and participate with excitement.

 Weekly Mass is like the garden staples my family needs to sustain us through the year. But a garden full of corn and beans can get a little…boring. We thrive when we attend our church picnics, festivals, and community events. Those are our “fun” plants in the garden that renew our excitement for growing!

 When planning and looking to the future, it’s easy to get excited and buy all the seeds and sign up for all the church activities! However, as I have unfortunately learned, my garden has a limited amount of space and I have a limited amount of time. By being realistic about my goals, I can ensure I don’t waste money on unused seeds and don’t burn out or spread myself too thin in my parish community.

 My garden can always use improvement as can my faith. By reflecting on last year and determining my weaknesses, I can make adjustments. Sunday mornings come early and that African Horned Jelly Melon doesn’t grow well in my zone, but Saturday evening Mass is an option and maybe we can try the Kajari melon this summer! As a working mom and homesteader, I always have things or people or animals that need my attention, but am I ensuring that my attention is ever present on the Lord? There is certainly room for improvement there.

 So, as I plan my garden and we prepare our hearts for Jesus, I encourage you to reflect on your needs for the year. Think about where you are and where you want to be. How will you get there? What steps do you need to take to grow closer to God and how will you make the time and space for that to happen? There is always room for Him when we let Him in our hearts.

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What does this mean for our faith…

Where does the human story begin? In a garden – a perfect garden called Eden. It was there among the beauty of God’s creation that man and woman were in harmony with each other, with the created world, and with God. And so, we begin our yearly blog theme in the garden!

As Molly said in her reflection, January is for rest and planning. Rest for the ground after another year of production; planning for the growing season ahead.

So, too, in our faith life do we need seasons of rest and planning. What does it look like to let the ground of our heart rest? It can mean not taking on too many new commitments or resolutions in the beginning of the year. It can mean not becoming overburdened to the point of burn-out. It can mean slowing down our yes and prudently discerning where to invest our time and energy. As Saint Augustine wrote, ultimately our heart is only at rest in Christ – so make the time and space for Him.

Our rest is important so that we can engage in intentional planning for the next growing season. Molly wrote about reflecting on the past year in her garden and seeing what worked and what didn’t. It’s important to make time for this in our life of faith as well. To think back over the last year and ask: What new seeds did the Lord plant in my life? Where did I grow this year? Where am I being called to prune bad habits? Where am I being called to grow in the year ahead?

Jesus tells us that he is the true vine and his Father is the vinedresser. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. But with Him, we can bear so much fruit. Let’s tend the garden of our heart this year so we can bear good fruit for the Kingdom.