Of Tomatoes and Sunshine

My tomato plants are much happier now---or they look happier anyway. The three plants I have just exploded this year! There's so much greenery and now I'm seeing many more little tomatoes coming and more buds too. Today I started at the bottom, pulling dandelions who were hiding under there, pesky things. Working my way up the stems of the tomatoes, I pulled off the lowest leaves and then proceeded to take off all the greenery that was shading the existing tomatoes, who need the light of the sun to ripen. Everything that was not producing and anything that was hindering the sun to come through had to go. All the old leaves and stems had to be cleared away too, so that there would be no rotting and defiling of the fruit.

As I did this I thought about the need to be one who encourages the growth of others. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ, as a whole, must be made up of individuals who care for and nurture one another. Words like, exhorting, encouraging, building up and even warning, all came to my mind like a flood. As the old branches and leaves were broken off I thought about not being someone who would overshadow others, or one who would keep others from the light. The Lord used this time to remind me that I am to be productive; allowing Him to produce His fruit in me so that I can be one who might feed another. While cleaning up the old leaves and branches that fell to the ground, it came to mind that I ought not to be producing anything which would be like "rotting flesh" or "a root of bitterness" which would trouble others and turn them away from understanding the truth of the Word.

While I made my tomato plants happy, I was also made happy by spending some time in prayer, asking the Lord to produce these things in me.

I look forward to eating of the precious fruit that will come from this labor someday in the future. The Lord wants to be able to use the fruit that comes from us too. It makes Him extremely happy to see christians who are encouraging growth. I pray that I will be that kind of person.

Happy gardening!