My squash plant died. I mean it is just dead.
I don't know if something ate it or maybe it just didn't get the right care but it is dead.
No hope for it.
However my tomatoes, brussel sprouts and beans are flourishing. It really is too bad that it is the squash that died and not the tomatoes, I kind of hate tomatoes...I pause there b/c I have been told that I may be struck down for saying that but it seems that I am OK.
On Sunday, our Pastor Nanette, preached on Rebekah in the book of Genesis. She spoke of Rebekah's struggle during her pregnancy and as a mother. She related this struggle to the parable of the sower, one of my favorite and likely one of the most well know parables in the New Testament. Nanette spoke to me on Sunday. In the midst of my own person struggle she was preaching just to me, I know she was. Nanette said "the struggling is happening it is real. so where is the word of God in that struggle?.... through faith and courage we can find the word of God just like the plant that fell in the good soil and grew 100 fold"
For those that don't know the parable of the Sower here it is
"A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
I went home that day and reflected on this sermon for most of the afternoon. God. God is in the midst of all our struggles. God is there in the thorns, God is there on the path, God is there in the rocks and God is in the good soil.
When we are able to open our hearts and souls to the word of God we are able to get through our struggles because we are deeply rooted in our faith and we have the courage to get through whatever is happening.
This too is how we as Christians are able to help those that are stuck in the thorns, are on the path or eaten up by the birds. Many people feel as though they are planted in faith but fall away from it when hard times hit. As someone rooted deeply in my faith, that is when I can simply step in, offer love, offer grace and offer mercy to those people.
Faith is something that can't be pushed onto other people. Faith is between you and God. It is something you have to experience to know that it is real.
Just like my garden (well most of it), I am thriving in my faith. I believe in a God that is faithful, I believe in a God that supports me even when I mess up and I believe in a God that offers me grace and mercy on a daily basis.
My squash could have used a little more TLC from me, that is probably true. Or perhaps a little fence around it to keep out whatever may have eaten it. But maybe this is just a reminder for me that unless well nurtured and loved things will not grow and be sustained, much like my relationship with God.
I apologized to my squash plant earlier, promised to try harder next year and rolled my eyes at the tomatoes that no matter what I do always seem to do well. Who knows, maybe they are the root of it all b/c some people say eating a fresh tomato is like heaven on earth. Guess we will see what happens next year. But for now I will enjoy watering and nurturing what is left of the garden in hopes that it will continue to flourish and bloom.
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