deep thoughts

The other day, I was harvesting my first- and last two vine-ripened tomatoes in the garden at my house, and I noticed another one is starting to grow. I was amazed! As it is, I am already astounded that the plant produced any fruit at all. It didn't produce fruit for a long time, and the tomatoes weren't very big, but... they were delicious! I really wasn't sure if I would get anything from it, because I had to transplant it from a raised bed that suffered from drainage issues and moldy soil. I transplanted it before the mold really took over the whole bed, and the plant has thanked me since!

The second tomato plant wasn't so lucky. However, while it was drying out in the moldy bed, it still managed to produce two little tomatoes, but I left them because I didn't know if they would be good, considering what was going on in the soil. I let the whole bed dry out, and the tomatoes continued to ripen.

I thought about my garden and the neglectful way I gardened that first garden. I watered it, sometimes. I never gave it food, because I didn't really know much about it at first. (I know better now, and know what to give the plants, and why!) I just let it grow with good old sunshine, water, and soil. I have been amazed at what has grown, and what hasn't with this haphazard way of farming. I harvested two mini bell peppers, three tomatoes (one fell off the vine while it was still green), rosemary, basil, and thyme. The watermelon never grew much, the cucumber died, and the squash never did more than grow some big promising flowers. That's what you get when you don't take good care of your garden though. If you don't feed it, your crop is only going to grow *so* big, if at all. If you don't give it proper drainage, mold will grow, and your crops will spoil. But... if you do take good care of it, fruit will grow!

I was reminded of this the other day when I was thinking about the church--any group of believers together-- and of spiritual growth. I was thinking of how things can grow in the middle of a neglected garden, but, when there is disease, nothing can grow. If you aren't spending real, regular, quality time with God, you aren't really feeding your spiritual garden. You might see some growth, and while it's true growth, the fruit isn't growing to its full potential. You might get some basil leaves, or a vine growing, but you might not ever get a watermelon or a cucumber growing. If, however, your garden has a disease problem, sin, you're not going to reap anything. What grows will die before it really becomes anything.

So, what do you do? If you're not producing fruit, and you want to... what do you do? Start by preparing the soil. Weeds, they gotta go. If you ask God to make aware any hidden sin in your life, he will. Yup... take it from me, he will! Pull those suckers out by their roots! Burn them! Get rid of them! Don't let them back in! :) Then you have to plant good seed. And water it. And give it food. That means spend real, quality time with God. Study his word. Talk to him. Feed your soul!

I can say this now, with strength from God, because I am a victor in this myself, in my own spiritual life. I tried for years to get rid of a specific sin. I would pull it out, but the roots wouldn't all come, and I didn't bother digging. Well, I finally dug. :) I can't say I'm not tempted ever, but I am staying strong in the Lord. It's not always easy, but it's getting easier with time. Just like gardening this second time around, with my class, I'm taking my time, growing from seeds, and taking care to nurture these little seedlings. I know more of what I'm doing this time around. I'm no expert, but I'm more knowledgeable, and... with God working on my side this time, we're gonna produce some fruit! (or vegetables!) :)