Lessons from a Garden 20

Lesson 20: Share the Harvest

The final lesson from my garden is to enjoy and share the harvest. As summer began to draw to a close the tomatoes began turning red, the beans were growing bigger, and the beets were rising from the earth. At least once a week we gathered something from our garden—greens from our turnip tops and beets, onions for our salad, and beans. When visitors came we liked to serve them something fresh from the garden. It was a delight to enjoy and to share with others the harvest from our backyard garden.

All of us have been blessed in many ways. These blessings are not just for ourselves. God has blessed us so that we can bless others. If God has given you money, share it with those who have none. If God has given you a house invite others to come and visit. If God has given you a talent use it to serve others. If you have an education or a car or good health enjoy them and share your blessings with others. The essence of Christianity is loving God through loving other people. God will reward those who share.

Matthew 25:40

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Lessons from a Garden 19

Lesson 19: Not everything grows well

Despite our best efforts not everything we planted grew. Some things grew well. The tomato plants produced tomatoes. The bean plants produced beans. The beet plants produced beets. But some things just never grew. I could not blame it on the rabbits or the groundhog. I treated every plant alike, watering and feeding them. For example I planted a little spruce tree, put fertilizer underneath it and carefully watered it every day. But despite my best efforts it died. So did some of my turnip plants and all of my asparagus. But I was thankful for those that did grow.

In your life not everything you attempt to do for the Lord will succeed. You do your best to plant seeds of faith in the hearts of children in your life. Some grow up to be preachers. Some grow up to prostitutes. You did your best. You witness to your friends and neighbours. Some come to faith. Some do not. You volunteer at your church or favourite charity and your project fails. You start an outreach program and it does not work. But some things that you do will work. Some things will grow. Be thankful for those that do.

Mark 4: 7,8

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.

Lessons from a Garden 18

Lesson 18: Beware of Fruit Thieves

When tomatoes began appearing on the tomato plants and our garden was getting green my wife and I thought it would be nice to encourage birds to come around. We bought a bird feeder and a bag of birdseed and placed this near the garden. As we usually ate breakfast on our back deck we imagined colourful songbirds chirping around us. Well things did not turn out quite like that. Mostly we attracted crows, starlings, and blackbirds who drove the smaller birds away. And then came the granddaddy of groundhogs. He ate the birdseed that fell on the ground and then started on our tomatoes, stealing the fruit before we could harvest it. We took down the bird feeder. After a few mornings of getting sprayed with the water hose the groundhog eventually left.

In the old days the veteran Christians would sometimes talk about the devil stealing their blessing. By that they meant  that after they had had a great blessing, perhaps at a revival meeting, a few days later things would go wrong and they would get upset and discouraged. In your Christian life, don’t let anyone or anything steal your blessing. Don’t let the devil rob you of your joy. Don’t let anything spoil the fruit that the Spirit is cultivating in your life.

James 4:7

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Lessons from a Garden 17

Lesson 17: Thinning the plants

One of the most difficult lessons from my garden was that of thinning the plants. The instructions on the seed packets said to sow liberally, then after the plants began to grow to thin out the weaker ones so that the stronger plants would not be crowded out. To uproot plants that were quite healthy and were doing what that were designed to do was difficult. I felt sorry for them because they were being uprooted for no reason of their own. I had to learn not to be so sentimental about my plants.

In our Christian life we can sometimes be so eager to serve the Lord and the Church that we crowd our life with too many good things. As a result nothing that we do mounts to much. It is better to do a few things well than to do many things shoddily. If we try to do too much too quickly the result is that very little gets done properly. And we can get burnt out. We need to weed out some things so we can do those things that we do best. No one can do everything. Don’t feel guilty because you have to say no to some things. Concentrate on using the gifts God has given you.

Romans 12:6-7

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;

Lessons from a Garden 16

Lesson 16: Water Often

Summers in Southern Ontario where I live can be very dry. This summer was no exception. After we planted our garden there was a long period of no rain, so it was necessary to get out our garden hose and water the young plants three or four times a week. It is amazing how much the plants depend on water. It is their life blood. When the leaves start to wilt and the stalks start to bend, a good soaking revives them and brings them back to life.

In the Bible water is a powerful symbol used to describe both the Spirit of God and the Word of God. The Bible talks about the Spirit being poured into our hearts (Acts 10:45) and the Church being washed with the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26). As Christians we need both the Spirit of God and the Word of God to nourish our souls. As plants cannot survive without water, neither can we survive without God’s Spirit in our heart and God’s Word in our mind.

Joel 2:28-29

“And afterward,

    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

    your old men will dream dreams,

    your young men will see visions.

Even on my servants, both men and women,

    I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

Lessons from a Garden 15

Lesson 15: Lending Support

Besides planting seeds into my garden I also put in about a dozen tomato plants. They were small, fragile things that I bought from a local nursery. I put them in with hope that some day they would produce fruit. In anticipation of this and as a sign of my faith in nature I bought a tomato cage for each of the plants to give them support as they grew. The plants were about four inches high, and the cages were about three feet high. They would have a lot of growing to do, but they would be surrounded by a support system as they grew.

Perhaps in your life there are new Christians or children who are just learning about Jesus. Their faith is small. Their understanding of the Christian life is very limited. As they start on their journey with God they need the support of Christians who are older and more mature than they are. They need help to remain upright in their life. You can be that support. You can be part of the church team or the network of friends who help others to grow in their faith.

Galatians 6:2

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Lessons from a Garden 14

Lesson 14: Starting Over

Because of the damage that the rabbits did to my vegetable garden I lost all my lettuce and some of my carrots and beets. Several weeks of the growing season were past, but I figured if the weather stayed warm there was still a good chance to replant. So although it was late for planting I once again put seeds into the ground and started over. This time the seeds were secure in their protected boxes.

It is not always easy to start over, but it is not impossible. If after you began your Christian journey something happened to diminish your faith or interrupt your walk with God, don’t despair. It is never too late to start over. Our God is the God of second chances. You can rework the soil. You can plant the seeds of faith again. You can produce a crop for the Lord. In the Bible many of God’s children started over after failing the first time. Remember Moses, Jonah, and Peter to name just three. There is yet a promising future for those willing to try again.

Jonah 3:1-3

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.