Dear Friends,
Previously, I mentioned that my former tenant planted back yard vegetables – tomatoes, peppers, egg plant, and green onion. I’ve since harvested some remnant produce. But the tomato vines were weak and the eggplant was showing signs of being past its fruit bearing ability.
After receiving advice from seasoned church gardeners, I tore out the old tomato plants, and transferred three tomato seedlings and two bell peppers into the ground. On the day after Easter, I bought a couple of plastic barrels (wine barrel size) and mixed some store bought soil with backyard soil and planted strawberry seedlings. I also hope to plant some Armenian cucumber into the other barrel.
Visiting a family farm in the Philippines and picking a load of roma tomatoes, plus the remnant fruits of the tenants, and the prospect of Marlou coming over has inspired me to take on this new gardening lifestyle. I now check the plants every morning and water. It’s a source of anticipation and excitement, and a good discipline of cultivating and nurturing.
One other contributing factor was when I visited Marlou’s brother and his wife in San Francisco. We took a trip out to their house in Kenwood, which is in the vineyard country outside of the city about 45 minutes. They have all kinds of herbs, some fruit trees, strawberries, and flowers. They gave me bags of leaves to make tea: mint, lemon grass, and some kind of orange leaf. His style of gardening is very scattered and sprawled.
I guess there are different philosophies to gardening. I tend to like the plants nicely and neatly separated and organized. Others prefer a more jungle style with lots of varieties spread about.
In the parable of the sower, the seed is spread all over; not in neat rows, not in separate little planter boxes, and upon all kinds of soil. It’s a lesson of the more you sow, the more you reap. Similar to the word of God, the more we share and spread the good news the more the chances for faith to take root and grow. I can see why Jesus frequently used agricultural illustrations.
In this spring season, let us continue to plant seeds and seedlings of God’s love that fruits may abound in God’s good time. I’ll keep you informed about my plants and would love to hear about yours. Hopefully this summer we will all have lots of produce to share.
— Pastor Bob
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