Gratitude

It's the week of Thanksgiving, so naturally we are all considering our gratitude right now. So I am leaning into that for our bible study this week. Thankfulness is a huge part of worship, and a huge part of farming.

At this moment, the slowing pace of the farm invites me to pause, breathe deeply, and reflect on all that this season has held. The fields are quiet now, and though I’m still tired as I shared in my last post, I feel an even deeper gratitude stirring in me. It’s not just for the harvest that came from the soil, but for the harvest God has brought forth in my own soul: the lessons learned, the stretching and refining, the ways He has met me in both the fullness and the fatigue. This week, I’m reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, which calls us to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. And truly, as I look back over this growing season, I see how God has been present in every circumstance shaping both the work of my hands and the quiet work He is doing within my heart.

This year I am so grateful for the chance to begin workshops, to renew our lavender fields, and to start an apple orchard. I am grateful for our new sheep and rabbits, and all the physical changes we've done to the farm. However, most importantly I am thankful for God’s hand in the chance meeting with women who have shaped my business. I am thankful for my sisters in Christ that support my vision, I am thankful for fellow moms and friends who support my chaos in whatever way they can. I am thankful for my husband and his family for every ounce of effort they put into our farm dreams. It’s easy to be thankful for the external products of our blessings: The harvests, the animals, even the financial growth of the business. However, true gratitude is going deeper. Seeing the internal changes and the divine intervention that lead to such a fruitful season. I am stronger, because He gave me challenges to overcome. I am more supported because he put people in my path that can support me. (and I had the courage to ask for that help, because of Him). I am smarter because he put me in a position to research and learn more topics so that I can be an expert in teaching. I am more disciplined because I was forced to pursue these things in my heart, while also being a full time mom to four wonderful blessings already. Gratitude is a form of stepping back and seeing the bigger picture, looking back at where we started and all we’ve gained since.

Gratitude, at its core, is also a  form of worship. It’s a way of bringing our whole lives, both the beautiful and the humbling parts, back to God. Thanksgiving is far more than a holiday on the calendar; it’s a posture of the heart that invites us to “enter His gates with thanksgiving” as Psalm 100:4 says, approaching Him with reverence for all He has done. When we pray with gratitude, as Philippians 4:6 encourages, we acknowledge that God is the provider, the creator, and the sustainer of every part of our story. Gratitude keeps us grounded in the truth that “every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17), and it also helps us entrust the hard, refining, humbling moments to Him as well. When we bring everything: our successes, our weariness, our lessons, and our longing back to God with thankful hearts, we shift from striving to trust and surrender.

THIS DOESN'T MEAN ITS EASY

Because farming is also hard and humbling. This season, we had  pest pressure, hail damage, and irrigation issues all year. It was trial after trial sometimes. Motherhood right now is also taking me out, these tiny humans are a circus and there is so much on my brain and to do list. 

So to be honest, I do struggle remembering gratitude in the moment. Science will tell you it’s the “lizard brain”. When there is so much chaos around me that my brain shuts off as a survival tactic. I am then running on fight or flight mode because all I hear is screaming, crying, whining, fighting. The house is a disaster and the farm has a never ending to do list. In these moments,  I have these out of body experiences where I can watch myself in my overstimulated state, and I'm screaming at her to calm down, yet I can’t hear anything because it's only the “lizard brain” functioning right now. I am literally tuning out the Holy Spirit here, I can feel it, and I hate it. However I do think science is right, God designed these brains to protect us from lions chasing us, not the children and household we should be “oh so grateful for”…  I would be lying if I told you that I practice what I preach every day. Ha, far from it. I am learning alongside you. We are walking the same water girl, and if we don't keep our eyes on Him, we are going to sink so bad in this storm.

So how do we stay grateful? 

When there are moments when the ground feels unforgiving and the work feels bigger than your strength. It’s here, in this clay mud that gratitude is not just a response but a lifeline. It’s the steady thanking of God for His presence in the hard moments, for the lessons hidden in disappointment, and the way He strengthens and shapes us through every challenge. I know, I know that, in the moment, it is almost impossible to turn on the rest of your brain, and remember to keep calm and be grateful. I get it, it’s hard. All of it is hard. Gratitude doesn’t erase the difficulty, but it transforms it—helping us see God’s faithfulness in the middle of the mess and reminding us that even when the harvest is thin, His grace is still abundant. 

Grateful for these babies and these carrots!

Through the hardships of farming and motherhood, we can hold onto the promise of Romans 8:28: that God works all things for good. Every failed crop, every long, exhausting day, and every moment of struggle and overstimulation is not wasted; He is weaving it into a greater story of growth, perseverance, and faithful provision, shaping both the farm and our hearts in ways we may not yet see. I am stronger every year because of it. 

So maybe it's just in the practice. Every day, or maybe even tiny incremental moments throughout our day, we stop and say thank you. Even if it's under your breath in frustration, or a tiny whisper to yourself in a quiet moment. While we weed, while we change diapers, while we dig up dahlias, while we do the dishes. Let us be thankful. 

Here’s my first step:

Dear God,

Thank You for Your faithfulness through this past year—for showing up in every season, for guiding my hands and my heart through the work of the farm, and for carrying me when I was weary. Thank You for the harvest, both seen and unseen. The blooms, the produce, the soil refreshed, and the lessons You’ve taught me in patience, perseverance, and trust. Thank You for the beauty of creation that reminds me of Your goodness and the ways You are always at work, even when I cannot see it.

Thank You for the community You have placed around me: friends, customers, workshop attendees, and family who encourage, support, and share in this journey of growth alongside me. Lord, I ask that You bless the season of rest ahead, allowing the farm to rejuvenate, and my own body, soul, and spirit to be renewed. Thank You for the work You are doing in my heart, in my family, and in this business You’ve entrusted to me. As a mother, guide me to nurture, protect, and pour Your love into my children while balancing the responsibilities You’ve given me.

I surrender the next season into Your hands, trusting that Your timing, provision, and wisdom are perfect. May every step I take be rooted in gratitude, joy, and obedience, and may the work of my hands honor You in all things.

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen.

I hope your Thanksgiving is just the best. I wish you all a great week.

Grow & Garden, Friends.
-Jessica
w/ Shari’s