My Tomatoes

I picked 4 cherry tomatoes from my backyard today. I was so pleased with them. I ate one and saved the rest to show off… ahem… I mean, share with the rest of the family. I thought about taking a picture of them and posting it on face book. Here was the fruit of my work. My produce, which I had grown all by myself.

Well…not really. My friend, JW, planted these seeds in small plastic trays, months ago, while the ground outside was still frozen. She gave me these plants at just the right time, when both the ground and the seedlings were ready. Another friend, DH, showed me how often to water it and fertilize it. Nature did the rest.

God appointed several individuals to contribute to the growth of these little cherry tomatoes. Similarly, He arranges people and circumstances to nurture each of us, just as He calls us to water and fertilize others. Nothing grows by itself.

“It's not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process, but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving. You happen to be God's field in which we are working.” (1 Cor. 3:7-9 MSG)

What happens when we ignore the call to take care of someone? What happens when we refuse to accept nourishment from others? Delayed development. Stunted growth.

So let us cultivate and nurture each other as we grow in Christ.