May 2016

From Steve’s Desk

I am so happy that I can finally get my hands dirty. As you may or may not know, I am an avid gardener. I could be classified as obsessive when it comes to plants. I love flowers, trees, shrubs and vegetables. I am excited that for the first time in a long time, I have planted a vegetable garden at my home. I spent the time and energy to remove the sod and then to till up the plot. It sure was hard work for this out of shape clergyman, but I endured with aches and pains to prove it. In my mind I want to plant so many things, but in reality, I have to show some restraint; because if I plant it, I have to be able to do something with it.

So, I did narrow my list and have begun the process of planting. First went in the cabbage, broccoli, and brussel sprouts. Next went the zucchini followed by spinach and lettuce. Now I wait for May 10th, that is the date that my grandfather said is the frost-free date, so that we can plant the tender plants of tomatoes, peppers, green beans, and maybe a few other things I haven’t thought about. Isn’t it fun!

Gardening is a pleasure of this world that God has given us. I often make reference to the Garden of Eden – time began in the garden, but we cannot forget that God was the gardener. In Genesis 2:8, “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.” I like the fact that God took effort and energy to plant a garden for us.

Faith is like a plant. It starts as a small seed planted by God that needs nurturing and fed. When faith is given the right care, it will grow, mature, and fulfill its purpose - to bloom so that God and others will see. Faith is a visual sign of what is within us. The blooms of love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control should be the fruit of our faith. But the flowering of our faith is not the end of our faith. It is the beginning of faith in others. God transforms our faith into seeds to plant to produce faith in others.