Today is Thursday, September 22nd, 2011; Karen's Korner #2159
I am a flower gardener; used to do a vegetable garden as well.
This year for the first time in a number of years, I added some vegetables. I have three tomato plants.
A magazine feature told about planting hills of vegetables in 'cracks of cemented areas'; if it could grow weeds, it could grow vegetables. We planted squash, watermelon, and cantaloupe in a few hills on an old animal feeding floor.
This is also an 'apple year'. we have one apple tree.
Things worked!
Now we have a choice:
* try to have the two of us eat all of the produce;
* let some of the foodstuffs go to waste;
* or give some of it away.
When eight watermelons, more than twenty cantaloupe, more Acorn squash than we have counted; and bags and baskets of apples all ripen at the same time, it is pretty hard to eat it all or let all the extras go to waste.
We have eaten, frozen all of the apples for applesauce, apple crisp, and pie apples we can possibly eat this year. We gave away more than 20 grocery bags of apples to friends and neighbors; had another half dozen people come by to pick some that they wanted.
We are process of picking the watermelon and cantaloupe; eating some and sharing some; and are getting ready to pluck the squash off their vines.
As I looked at the few vines and our one tree, I thought about God blessing us with His 'harvest'. But how many other things do I/we have in our lives? Do we have more than we can use? Does He give us a choice to share what we have been given because we have 'more than enough'? Or do we let the 'fruit ripen and decay'?
Father God in Heaven, it is hard for me to let our garden food items go to spoil. Help me to see other items in our lives where You have blessed us to abundance. We don't want those things to 'spoil' either; help us to recognize those gifts of time, talents, and other resources. Then gently show us ways to share. You are a generous God; we are blessed. Help us to bless others, in Your Name. Amen.
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