PLANTING THE GARDEN

Bill has the garden planted.   There are rows of lettuce, green beans, sweet corn, tomatoes, and bell peppers.   Because I made the decision to no longer can green beans and tomatoes, he has cut back on the size of the garden.   When he was planting for us and our kids, he would plant six rows of corn and six of beans.   He would add ten tomato plants and a like number of pepper plants.   This year it is two rows of beans, three rows of corn, six pepper plants and six tomato plants.   

You will notice I said, “Bill plants the garden.”  I used to. 

One year, I planted a garden that did not come up.  Nothing!  Nada!  We finally figured out why.  Seems an overabundance of manure had been spread in that area and it burnt up the plants.  That year there were empty jars in the pantry. 

I planted, hoed, harvested, and canned all the goodies the years we lived in Michigan.  Plus fruit from the many orchards surrounding our home.  We moved back to Indiana and I continued my garden work —- until the day the planting and care of the garden changed hands.

There I was, working away in the garden.  The beans and corn were in the ground.  The tomatoes were planted.  I was rather proud of the progress I had made that day.  Then Bill came home. 

Mr. My Rows Are Straight said, “Your rows are crooked.”  I replied, “You get more in a crooked row.”  I saw no reason to use stakes and a string to make a straight row.  A hoe handle worked just fine and was much faster.

Then Mr. Equal Spaced Plants said, “Your tomatoes are too far apart.”  I replied, “They will be easier to pick that way.”  Why trip over plants when there was plenty of space?

To this day, I do not remember what the third comment Mr. Garden Planting Know It All made.  I just remember handing him the hoe, that still had dirt on the end of the handle from making rows, and said, “No problem.  I will turn the planting and care of the garden over to you.”  Although I continued to help harvest and preserve our bounty, I have not planted or tended a garden since.

PLANTING SEEDS

Our Sunday School Class is studying the Parables and we are ready to discuss the Parable of the Sower found in Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23, Mark 4:1-8, 18-20, and Luke 8:4-8, 11-15.  Read this and then ask yourself: 

• Am I a sower of seeds (God’s word)?  Or do I keep the seeds for myself?
• Where do I plant seeds?  Do I only plant seeds with other believers or do I get out of my comfort zone?
• Do I get upset if I sow seeds and they do not sprout (the person does not care)?  Or am I willing to sow seeds and realize they might need tended by someone else to make them grow?

Now go be a sower of God’s Word and have a blessed weekend.