Yesterday we harvested 40 lb of tomatoes and over 200 lb of apples. We are sharing them with friends, drying, canning and eating as fast as we can cope with while they are still fresh. The generosity of God in providing like this is amazing and I really struggle as I walk around the neighbourhood and see the apples that just fall to the ground and rot. Are we indifferent to the goodness that God expresses in this way or is it just that we are so busy that we never even notice.
As the world rocks and rolls with the financial crisis that it is going through I think it is a good time for us to remember the kind of harvest that God provides. God not only cares but wants to provide – not just for our own needs but so that we can reach out and help others too. The challenge is that we get all caught up in our wants rather than our needs and so often are totally oblivious to the generosity of God’s provision that is intended to be shared with others.
As it says in 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 (New Living Translation)
And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say,
“They share freely and give generously to the poor.
Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.
Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.
Filed under: Community, Food & dieting, Gardening, life, Rhythms of life, spirituality Tagged: | Christianity, financial crisis, food, Gardening, harvest, life, Religion
Hi Christine,
I’m always inspired by your tomotoe successes. Most of my flowers never fertilise and become fruit. Do you have any tips for increasing the flower to fruit ratio?
PS. I am talking of my tomatoe flowers, or course.
Brian,
Where do you live? I am not an expert but I do know that tomatoes don’t set fruit if the weather is too hot. If the weather is consistently in the 90s you probably won’t get much fruit setting. Some varieties are more heat tolerant than others too so you might want to check that out. Also do the plants look green and healthy? If your plants lack water or if they are getting tomato wilt then the plants might look yellowish. Ask st your local nursery – they should be the experts for your area and can probably give you more help that I can
Blessings and don’t give up. It took us several years to get to the productivity we are at now.