My Mom's Backyard Taught Me This
A peaceful visit home reminded me of the kind of woman I want to be.
This week, I have the pleasure of going back home to Illinois and visiting my family. I am blessed with a loving mother, Francisca, and stepdad, Fred, who live in a small village, one that I used to reside in until right before I got married. It’s lovely to visit and slow down in a place where everyone knows each other, millions of stars light up at night, and the cicadas sing.
As I am here, I am inspired greatly by my mother’s garden and how much she loves to serve the people in her home by working hard in her backyard and thanking God for the produce that He provides for her.
She is a woman truly after God’s own heart. Every morning, she starts the day with her devotions and spending time with God. When she invited me into the garden, even though she has done this for years, she is still astonished by how God created a seed to grow into a vegetable that she can create so many recipes with.
She gladly shares her produce with the next store neighbors, an elderly couple, and feeds the chickens some fresh kale before we go inside to revel in the harvest of the day.
There is a lot to learn from one of my mentors in life-my mom. She is a biblical woman…Someone who works with her hands, who serves her family with joy, who works hard in her home. She reaps a harvest both spiritually and physically.
This is the type of woman that I aspire to be. You don’t need a huge garden or home to steward what God has given you well and to create your own harvest.
If this has stirred something in your heart, I encourage you to pause and reflect:
How am I currently serving my home today?
How can I serve my home better today?
How can I bring in a “harvest” in my home with what God has blessed me with?
1. Stay Rooted in God’s Word Daily
Just like a garden needs sunlight, your soul needs Scripture. Start each day in the Word. Even 10 minutes of intentional reading and prayer can plant seeds that grow into strong faith and wisdom over time.
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord... He is like a tree planted by streams of water." – Psalm 1:2-3
2. Serve Your Home with Joy
Your everyday tasks, laundry, cooking, cleaning, can be sacred when done with a joyful heart. Serving your family well is a powerful ministry that produces peace, love, and lasting fruit in your home.
"She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." – Proverbs 31:27
3. Speak Life and Blessing
Your words can either sow peace or strife. Be intentional about encouragement, gratitude, and grace in your conversations. A soft, kind voice waters the soil of hearts around you.
"The tongue has the power of life and death." – Proverbs 18:21
4. Practice Faithful Obedience in the Small Things
Faithfulness isn’t just for big moments, it's choosing integrity, discipline, and humility every day. God often grows the biggest harvests from the smallest acts of obedience.
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much." – Luke 16:10
5. Build a Life of Prayer
Prayer is how we partner with God in cultivating spiritual fruit. Whether whispered while washing dishes or written in a journal, your prayers water the seeds you’ve planted in faith.
"Pray without ceasing." – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Our Online Book Club is launching soon! We’ll gather on Zoom to connect, grow, and dive into meaningful reads together. It’s the perfect space to learn, reflect, and build community—one book at a time and right on Substack!
Stay tuned for all the details coming your way soon!
Here is our first read. Can’t wait to share more soon!
My mom is a faithful gardener for years growing her herbs and veggies for our family and selling some of her packaged herbs to make extra income. We have grown to appreciate clean eating and watching our health. She still teaches us about herbs medicinal and health benefits to this day. When I go home I wake up to pick a few leaves or different plants to make my fresh tea, And salad.shes got variety of the herbs and salads. Her garden is her meditation place, her self love place, her own provste time and I now understand why she loves it so much. As a daughter I am definitely following in her footsteps, when I build my own cottage not far from my home compound, I have specified to my architect I want a garden on the roof.
So nice! What a beautiful visual & reminder of God’s provisions and how we can steward them. Thanks for sharing 💗