Sunday, January 9, 2011

Is it possible to outgive God?

I gain such joy from my gardening that for brief moments I feel guilty about it. How can plucking a perfect radish or gloating about purple pea blossoms bring pleasure to my God? Generally there is no fellowship with other believers. Just the bird song in nearby trees, the sound of neighbor boys shooting hoops in the park and the insults passed between the neighboring beagle and my two terriers as once again they search for a way through the fence, challenging each other to back up their bark with teeth.

It is winter now. Nothing urgent needs to be done in the garden except for putting my dreams to graph paper. That doesn't need to be done outside. Hot tea and a blazing fire inside will do. Thumbing through seed catalogs and personal notes, I remember pouting about needing to go into school to work for a week. Not that I mind, I just like being at home. As I justified my grumping to myself I thought about last summer and how I would not have been able to afford to eat fresh if not for my garden. Teachers do not get paid in the summer. I wondered for a moment how the other teachers make do without a garden. As clearly as if someone were standing beside me, I heard a voice say, "You grow it for them". The thought make so much sense that I did not ponder where the voice came from. I just did not want to tell anyone about what I heard. What if I fail? What if I have to give away the best things? What if my best things are not good enough to give to others?

God is so Good! Last night Constance and I were trading notes on facebook. She shared how she gave food away from her garden to God's people. She testified of the faithfulness of God in increasing her yield so that she could share and still have more than enough. Isn't that just like our God?

But my gardens are just a bunch of squarefoot gardens and while they are enough for Ray and me, they are not very big. That is what I was thinking. Did you know that there is a principle of God, practiced by Y'shua/Jesus? When you entrust your little bit as a gift to God, he makes it into much. It isn't a grantee or a promise, it just is. What He chooses to do with my offering is up to him. By faith I am publicly proclaiming what has been laid upon my heart. Here is my crowded little garden. It is my gift to you and your people Elohim. To God be the Glory!

Overcast and snowy. Gonna be cold tonight.

1 comment:

  1. You're closer to God's heart in a garden than any place else on earth." -- Dorothy Frances

    Hopping over from the SFG Forum!

    I love that quote, and think about it, what was the first thing God did after He rested, He created a garden. I think God smiles when we pull up a "perfect" carrot and feel some sort of satisfaction, after all He worked through us. There are times when I am out in my garden and see a bee or ladybug doing it's thing and thank God for putting me out there at just that time to see it, like He set it all up just for me. I cannot spend more than 30 minutes tending plants and not end up humming "In The Garden".

    As far as out-giving God, no we can't, but it sure is fun to try!!!!

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