“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.” Genesis 3:7b
It all started from a seed. An idea that sprouted in one of our church folk. Coming to me, he made the suggestion that, “since we own a land that is mostly just lawn, why don’t we plant a vegetable garden to help feed our flock?” This seed expanded and, before long, we now have a cleared out piece of dirt awaiting the next step. And somehow… I am now a farmer!
Greg, the brains behind this idea, handed me a pot with dirt and some green things growing out of it. “This is for you,” he said. Apparently it’s supposed to turn into huge thriving melon plants. As he described it, I had a vision of me sitting among large, green, orbs of juiciness. Within a week, the plants were dead! But I HAD WARNED him of my history!
I can’t grow anything. After trying numerous times, I apparently yielded my potential green thumb over to the powers of darkness! Weeds are all I seem to grow well! But not wishing to stunt the growth of a good idea, I’m playing along with a group of would be gardeners, doing what they ask me to do, planning for dirt, ordering fencing and just being available.
I’ve been to the site with shovel and ax. Already, I have invested sweat and blood. Literally! And we haven’t planted 1 seed yet. But I trust! There are people who have caught this vision and THEY believe! Me? I believe in THEM. So when the questions come, like, “hey, what’s with the garden?” Or, “when are we going to…?” I just forward those questions to a team of folks who seem to know the answers.
The whole process of gardening for food came about from the first sin. And since I’m good at sinning, I conclude that I should take some responsibility in the food growing project! Because, it seems to me, that it is God’s way of doing things!
God is a farmer! His parables of sowing and reaping, along with shepherding, prove that God plays the long game. Seeds and lambs take time, money and work before any results can be seen. And since there is an enemy lurking out there, there are NO guarantees. Except that HE will be with me through ANY situation.
I’m planning for painful toil! I see it coming, I WILL be ready and available. Because having read that Bible verse, one word stands out that gives me hope… “WILL!” If I do MY part, HE WILL see to it that the result will come to me in the form of a benefit. Even if the plants die! To God… NOTHING is ever wasted. Even the lessons to a poor gardener!
So what’s growing in YOU?
