When the Garden Goes Quiet: Carry What Matters Most

Carry What Matters Most — life has a funny way of getting loud. The garden is overflowing, the pantry shelves are lined, the planners are full… and somehow, we’re still exhausted. Can I get an amen? This week on Unscripted Conversations, we’re talking about what happens when the hustle slows, the garden goes quiet, and we’re left face-to-face with what really matters.

Abiding, Not Hustling to Carry what matters

We live in a culture that celebrates hustle. If you’re busy, you must be successful, right? But John 15 tells us a different story:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Fruit doesn’t come from striving. It comes from abiding. Real success is measured by who you’re walking with, not how many plates you can spin.

The Weight We Weren’t Meant to Carry

Guilt. Shame. Worry. People-pleasing. Oh friend, I’ve carried them all, and it’ll wear you slap out. But Jesus gave us an invitation:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
Rest isn’t laziness. It’s obedience. It’s letting go of what was never ours to carry.

Carry What Matters Most

Galatians 6 reminds us to share each other’s burdens, but also to be responsible for our own conduct. Translation? Don’t carry everything. Carry what matters: love, integrity, and faith. Carry the Fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
I love a good planner. I’ve got several, and checking boxes makes me feel productive. But God doesn’t measure us by our lists. He measures us by our hearts.

Philippians 4:13 — A Tattooed Reminder

There’s one verse that has carried me through some of the hardest seasons of my life:
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)
It’s tattooed on my arm in my mother’s handwriting. And what makes it even more special? My youngest son, Phillip, has the exact same tattoo in the exact same place.
For us, it’s more than ink. It’s a constant reminder that Christ’s strength is enough when ours runs out.

When my oldest son, Cameron, left for the Marines during COVID, I couldn’t even attend his boot camp graduation in person. Two long years went by before I hugged him again. That verse sustained me through every missed moment.
And then came the day we dropped Phillip off for college in Nashville, eleven hours away from home. Leaving him there and driving back with tears in my eye. Philippians 4:13 became my lifeline.
Y’all, I don’t know what you’re carrying right now. But I do know this; if Christ carried me through those seasons, He WILL carry you too.

A Pantry Check for the Soul

What are you carrying today? Peace or panic? Faith or fear? Kindness or criticism?
If your arms are full of the wrong jars, set them down. Make space for what matters most.
Because at the end of the day, life really is simpler than we make it. Walk with Jesus. Love Him. Love people. Let His Spirit grow in you. And when you feel like you can’t? Remember Philippians 4:13 — you can, because He gives you strength.

Listen to the Full Conversation

This blog post is just the highlight reel. For the full story — the laughter, the tears, and the real-life mama moments — head over to Unscripted Conversations and catch Episode 14: When the Garden Goes Quiet.

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Check These Out Next

• Episode 12 Blog: The Fruit of the Spirit – What’s Growing in Your Life?
• Episode 13 Blog: Preserve the Good Stuff – Canning Truths for the Season Ahead
• SimplyBlessedDesignz Bible Study Planner – Free Download

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