Grace in the garden

Tomatillo

So often I have written about pests and weather and trials of gardening, but today I want to write about grace given through the garden.  Grace can be defined as unmerited favor.  There is nothing that we may do.  There is no work that we may accomplish that provides us with what comes of grace.  Please understand, in the garden and in our lives, there is a need to do work.  Yet, ultimately our work is based on trust in the One who gives growth both to the garden and our spiritual lives.  Ultimately in each we are dependent on the reliability of the One who sends the sun and the rain and even sends His Spirit.

Cherry Tomatoes

Peppers

Yes,  truly it is the His grace gives us a proper amount of sun, rain and temperature.  There are other specifics.  As He is gracious, we will have sun cherry tomatoes (yellow cherry) at the congregation As He is gracious we will have tomatillo and perhaps even get together for salsa making - completely with fuego-jalepeno peppers.  The seeds for many of these came via my brother.  That is gracious also.

Volunteer Marigold

Volunteer Tomato

Yet, above and beyond that, the Lord has provided things that we did not plant.  Although I don't know what to do with it, we have yarrow.  Dill has planted itself in the herb bed (and between and within the other garden beds.)  We have volunteer marigolds from last year.  I started little dainty french marigolds, but last year's marigold's were a contrasting yellow and a bit taller.  It just so happens that I ran out of marigolds to go around the Beth Am Messiah Congregation sign, but with these volunteers I have a second row of taller marigolds.  They will fill in nicely.

Onions

Some of our tomatillos did not make it.  It just so happens that some tomato plants came up between the beds.  I have put these where the tomatillos did not take.

Grace and God are often unexpected.  He does all things well.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory..

Ephesians 3:20f NIV