This post has 4 parts.  The first originates in a Seeds of Exchange FaceBook & Instagram post from several weeks ago about needful thinning in our garden, which sparked thoughtful & powerful responses from Lisa Sharpe & Jen Tracy, & the last is a picture & update with a surprising twist.  Soooo glad y’all are here this day.  *Share your comments & add to the harvest!  xo…Sarah DT*

Part 1 | Thinning

July 24, 2015.  My garden spoke to me today. Deeply. Beckoning me to come & see, pause & look.

It needs thinning. There is too much growing too closely together. The plants will start to choke each other, limit healthy growth.

I have a deep hunch that my life needs some thinning, too.
I’m so drawn to fullness, abundance, overflowing.
There is so much flourishing right now – growth, connections, possibilities abound.

But, what if, like our gardens, the practice of thinning is done to allow us plenty of growing room so that we can receive all the proper growth requirements (water, nutrients, sunlight) without having to compete with others.

When we are thinned, we’re also helping to improve the air circulation around our growth. When crowded, there is not enough room to move & we do not flourish.

Whatcha think, friends? What speaks to you about this Seed Sip of thinning?  {*Join the conversation & add your comment below, friends. :}*}

Part 2 | Lisa Sharpe

July 28, 2015.  From our soul sista, Lisa Sharpe, founder of Stylish Sparrow.

“I read this post & then went out to weed the yard. I pondered your words & here’s what came to mind:  Drip systems can be one of the most effective ways to irrigate plants-especially new ones! Why? Because the slow, steady drip with pauses in between cultivates deeper roots that require less water over time (especially drought tolerant plants!).

I am sooooo tempted to run from one good activity, person or meeting to the next. However, I’ve noticed that when I do this, there is not time for my new learnings & inspirations to rise up spontaneously from within as they become part of my fiber.

When I am running around trying to grab goodness, it’s like watering plants with a hose. It has short-term benefits but not long-lasting or deep.

Interesting that this came up for me while I’m ‘stuck’ home with a sick kiddo, weeding the yard instead of at the tea afternoon I had planned in Aurora!!!!”

Part 3 | Momma Jen Tracy

1 August, 2015.  From my beloved, wise, Momma Jen Tracy:

“Sarah, as you know, I love analogies like this…I know that our Maker has given a voice to nature, &, as you said, it speaks. Your entry about thinning inspired a little conversation with Dad, & he says that it is good to thin before plants get too large & the roots get entangled. I think this is so with our lives too…if we wait too long to recognize the need to ‘thin’, it can be much more difficult to do so without affecting other things that have become connected to them.”

I have come to deeply value the perspective that trusted friends, who have the wisdom of experience, can give me as we journey together. It is often difficult to see things clearly enough myself.

Part 4 | Surprising Twist {Thinning Update}

3 August, 2015.  The above picture came from the results of thinning our garden.  And, IT is bountiful, right?  The twist:  I was not expecting bounty from thinning.  I thought it would be just taking away, albeit making space for new growth.  But, no!  There was much more than that – look at the beauty in this picture!

It makes me wonder, how can the results of the needful thinning of our lives be abundant?  Hmmm….Maybe it takes us having eyes to see the harvest.

From this thinning harvest will come carrot top pesto, basil pesto, mint salad, roasted potatoes….wow!  What gifts if only I have eyes to see it all – in my garden & in life!