My hubby and I have planted gardens in the past and know the truth: Fresh? Absolutely! Free or cheap? Absolutely NOT! Even so, we decided to plant a "mini-garden" this year with a few favorite herbs in a couple of large pots and some tomatoes, peppers and chilies in the back planter.
Growing a garden is intentional- it doesn't just sprout up with no effort on our part. First, the soil had to be prepared with mulch and potting soil. Extra drip line had to be installed.
As Christians, we need to be intentional in the way we prepare ourselves--- reading God's Word and obediently applying it to our life
Then the tiny plants were carefully planted making sure not to place them too close together.
These tomatoes, peppers and chili plants were so small, they barely peeked over the edge of the brick planter.
The plants need sunshine and water to grow. Without either one, the garden will die.
Likewise, our Christian life requires faith and God's Word to grow. Again, take away either one and our Christian life begins to wither.
Pretty soon the small plants began to bear fruit. Tiny cherry tomoatoes, jalapenos, bell peppers and green chilis became larger each day.
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5:22
With faithful watering and consistent sunshine, our garden continued to grow.
And the fruit grew larger and more ripe.
Finally, it was time to harvest some of the fruits of our labor! Homemade salsa with home-grown jalapeno and cilantro was oh-so-fresh tasting!
And these ripe-off-the-vine cherry tomatoes brightened our salad!
Just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
Matthew 7:20
So... was it worth the extra effort to plant and maintain a garden? ABSOLUTELY! Not only do we have fresh, delicious, pesticide-free produce but every day as I walk around our garden, I see God's handiwork and rejoice.
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