Trusting God to Be God: Updates in the Garden Project
God wants a garden in San Bernardino, I was sure it was His leading, but looking for the place to grow it, hadn’t been easy. We had placed offers on a few empty lots around San Bernardino and after our third rejection, some of us were getting discouraged!
God has been faithful to His word and sent amazing leaders and volunteers to work on setting up the structure of the ministry. Then He sent us just the right person with a knowledge and experience in other community gardens to plan and run the gardening part!
We were ready to launch the website. But, we still didn’t have a place to actually plant the garden! As a group of leaders, we decided to move forward in faith. We gathered together that Sunday to pray as a corporate group for each other and for God’s will to be done for the garden. I remember telling one of the leaders that I didn’t know which way to go… was this a time to keep moving forward or to wait and be patient for God to work? I just wish I knew which direction I was supposed to take.
When you don’t know which way to go, I’ve found in my own walk that waiting upon the Lord is best.
“ But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
After praying and deciding to wait and trust where God will lead, we left each others' company and got ready to start the week.
The next day, I got a call from an old high school classmate. He had become the Pastor at the San Bernardino SDA church. He told me the church had purchased an empty plot of land next to the church, a year back. It had been a residential lot with house that burned down. They were looking to use it to bless the neighborhood and do some outreach on it and the board had agreed that a garden would be best. He had heard about our garden ministry and asked if we could use this lot for our garden?
“Could we use it????!!!”
“You bet we could!!”
God had provided a place for the garden, without us paying a cent! And, not only a place for the garden but a church full of volunteers that know the neighborhood and want to reach out more. He lead us to partners to work with!
I immediately sent out a text blast to all the leaders who had gotten together to pray just the day before! I could hardly believe that God answered our pray the next day and in such a huge way!! It increased our faith and trust in God, to know that He answers even better than we can imagine!
The next month, 8 planter boxes were donated and we now had a place to put them! Praise God!
Working with God doesn't always feels smooth, but if it always work smoothly to build up our faith! It’s trusting Him when we can’t see the way out or when the end seems impossible. Trusting Him to be God, and us to be faithful. Trusting Him without seeing the results immediately! Then we see how He works things out in His time and answers our prayer greater than we expect. This solidifies our trust in Him and His time.
The process hasn’t been easy according to human standards. But the lessons that God teaches us along the way and they way the garden project is steadily moving forward helps me to lean more on God’s timing and leading.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5,6
Kimberly Im is a diagnostic radiologist in Southern California who also works as the medical director of radiological sciences at California Baptist University. She is the president of Lighted Garden Ministry. She’s married to Robin Im and has two boys. Her personal mission statement is to be a beacon, to reflect God’s love, peace, joy and wisdom to those around her.