I had finally given up on composting. I resigned myself to the reality that some luxuries a small yard simply cannot afford. I burnt what I could and pitched the rest. As time marched on, what looked like pumpkin leaves started growing where the compost pile had been. “That’s because I planted those,” said my five year old son. Intrigued by his statement, and by no means wanting to squash a young boy’s gardening dreams, I let them grow. And grow they did! They became an entire garden of pumpkins! 

I have grown pumpkins in the past and they required a lot of water. But since these were not a part of my plan, I did not really water them. Yet God grew the pumpkins. They grew so much that I started looking for the fruit. I found not only every size and color of pumpkin we had ever had over the last year, but I also found gourds, zucchini and an acorn squash among the bunch!

The previous year, I had purchased an acorn squash to make acorn squash soup, but never got around to it. Somehow one of the seeds survived and God grew me another one which I quickly made soup with once I saw it. I had messed up by purchasing more at the store than I had time to cook before the food went bad. Ever done that? Yet God took a seed from my failure and brought fruit from it. He gave me back what I gave to Him. When we are weak, He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

I also confess that I had purchased way too many little decorative pumpkins and gourds last year. Yet as a result, those seeds are reproducing themselves and we will have fresh similar pumpkins and gourds again this year, for free! Every time I look at that corner of my yard full of pumpkin plants, I am reminded of God’s goodness and His ability to bring something out of nothing. I am reminded of His provision. He is the God who can make a stream in the wasteland and a way in the wilderness (Isaiah 43:19). I am also reminded of how much better all those pumpkins are than my non-composting compost pile! After eliminating something in my life (the compost pile), God filled that emptiness with His goodness (pumpkins and squash).

Cutting out unnecessary things in our lives doesn’t have to mean less. Empty areas in our lives mean that God has room to grow new things He desires for us to have. But it often requires pruning, which leaves us empty for a while until He produces the fruit again.

Do you have something in your life you need to let go of so God can have room to do a new thing? Do you believe He can bring something from nothing? Are you willing to trust Him even with your inadequacies to do something miraculous? Tough questions, but worth praying through the answers. Do not fear empty spaces.

I am often tempted to fill an open day in my life with activities. But the Lord has been leading me to be more intentional about filling empty days on the calendar.

Invite God into those places seeking Him for how He wants you to fill that space. He might want that place in your life to remain empty for a while. Or He might lead you in a glorious way to fill it with something you had always dreamed of. One thing is for sure: He can always fill emptiness better than we can. Amen!