From Graves Into Gardens

What started with my reluctance to become a pastor’s wife over 20 years ago turned into something I could never have imagined. Apparently, God had plans for my life, too.

He grew my faith, challenged me to use gifts I didn’t always recognize, and invited me into ministry in ways I never could have scripted. Eventually, all of that led me to say yes to serving at Peachtree Church.

What a joy. What a blessing.

For 14 years, I’ve had the privilege of serving alongside an extraordinary staff and congregation. Whether through teaching, creating opportunities for people to connect, or leading women’s studies and retreats, my greatest joy has been creating spaces where people could find community, grow in faith, discover their stories, and become more aware of God in the midst of ordinary life.

So many people. So many stories. So much grace.

And now I’m closing this chapter at Peachtree.

Recently, as I was driving to church, I heard the song Graves into Gardens, and I realized: this is what God has done. And then I discovered that the flowers in the Sanctuary that Sunday had been placed there in my honor. (As seen in the picture!)

The story that began with losing our six-month-old son, Brock, has somehow become a story of beauty we never could have anticipated.

As for me, this isn’t retirement. It’s a season of restoration, recalibration, and renewal—a chance to take a deep breath, listen, and see what God has next.

I’m leaving Peachtree with a heart full of gratitude and a deeper conviction than ever that God is still in the business of turning graves into gardens.

So I’ll leave you with a question:

Where have you seen God take something that almost devastated your life and resurrect it into a garden of ministry, beauty, or new life?