Veggie Tales - Preparation

One of the hobbies I’ve taken up since moving into town is gardening. Given my suburban roots, this has felt like a pretty massive undertaking. As I await an equally massive harvest, I’ve also been reflecting on how the Lord is using these veggies to teach me about my faith. While I’m sure there are many, my biggest lessons learned have to do with preparation, protection, preservation and patience. Hang in there; you’ll see what I mean…

Preparation.

I began my venture by doing a little research on growing vegetables in South Africa. Experts agree that preparation is crucial to ensure that the soil is in good condition. Our weather is dry and our soil is predominately clay, so I had to begin with the back-breaking task of breaking up the soil, removing rocks, and working in good soil (compost and manure, yuck!).

All this hard work reminded me of the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. Jesus compared the condition of our soil with the condition of our hearts, and conditions have to be right in order to receive God’s Word and reap its fruit in our lives.

So, what is the condition of the soil of my heart?

Is it like the path mentioned, hardened from years of being trampled and baked in the sun? When God’s Word is sown on hardened soil, it’s not understood or even welcomed. The seeds are quickly snatched away.

Does the soil of my heart contain rocks that prevent God’s Word from taking root? I think of rocks as internal things like sin, negative thinking, stubbornness, insecurity, unforgiveness, or pride. Without deep roots, plants wither away in harsh conditions. Without deep roots, people fall away when tested or tempted. As the Lord exposes the rocks in our soil, it’s critical to do the often times back-breaking, heart-breaking work of removing them. To answer the question, yes - I definitely have some rock removal to do.

Does the soil of my heart contain thorns allowing God’s word to be choked out? I think of thorns as external things like temptations, worldly pressures, false teachings, or the expectations of others. Weeds compete with the good plants, depriving them of much needed water, sun and nutrients. The worries and pressures of life can do the same thing, and like weeds, if left unattended, they have the amazing ability to grow huge, spread fast, and ultimately take over the place.

Whether the soil is hard, rocky, or full of thorns and weeds, the result is the same – little to no fruit. “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)

So I’ve done the heavy lifting of preparing my soil and planting my vegetable seeds. And along the way, the Lord has been teaching me about my heart condition as well.

So now what? ... Eish! Those pesky critters!