A week ago, I used the image of a badger in our garden as a basis for my TFTD. Following on from that, I was dismayed to see evidence of further visitations from Mr Badger, plus his friend Mr deer! I had hoped that my erection of a fruit cage bolstered with a fence would deter further incursions, but sadly no! Once again the fence had been pushed up and the neat rows of potatoes disrupted and disturbed.
This called for more sturdy action. We have some wooden pallets so these were dragged across the lawn and placed against the netting alongside ANOTHER layer of fencing!
The bible reading set for today comes from 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 where Paul speaks to a church that had divided into factions choosing to follow a particular teacher, rather than putting the emphasis on following God.
He went on to use the gardening analogy. I can plant the potatoes, I can water them, and I can “try” to deter unwanted predators, but it is God who makes the potatoes grow.
Do we sometimes pick and choose, favouring those who say what we want to hear?
We may feel discouraged as we see diminishing numbers in our churches, but Paul urges us to remember we till the ground, we plant and care for the seed, but it is God who makes the seed grow. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that moves within people’s hearts and that brings them to Jesus.
Despite all my efforts, I still have to wait and trust that God will bless us with a reasonable crop of potatoes!
(The image of the barricade also reminded me of the parable of the farmer, building bigger and bigger barns, but that is perhaps for another day).
Prayer: Loving Creator God, thank you that you bring about new life when we have perhaps given up hope. May we put our trust in you and not in our own powers, and may the harvest of believers be far beyond our expectations. AMEN