I wrote most of this yesterday, I’ve been pondering over the last paragraphs, but I think it’s about right now… and yes, it does talk about God after talking about growing veg. So hello and welcome!
Yes, I’m very proud of my veg today. I realise lots and lots of people are growing things but I’m still very pleased that I managed to supplement our Sunday dinner today with things we had grown ourselves. Here they are!
Thankyou God for food you can grow yourselves, thank you even more for the greenhouse/polytunnel (I’m never quite sure what to call it, it’s polytunnel shape but with polycarbonate covering). I really don’t think we’d have much at all if we didn’t have that, The weather isn’t that conducive here to growing a lot of outdoors crops. Peas, carrots and cabbage/kale would work I think, but I’m not sure about much else. Also, I probably wouldn’t weed as often as I would need to on the outdoors beds. One reason being the rain, the other, there’s a lot of work to do and I probably wouldn’t get round to it.
I’m still really restricted at the moment, the inside of my left knee is very painful and gets a lot worse when I’ve been on it for just short periods of time. I can’t walk normally and it feels tight and heavy and weird. I’m thinking about ringing the doctor tomorrow. I’ve been trying to rest it and elevate it, and I have succeeded a bit more over the last few days, but obviously I still have things to do too…It’s nearly three weeks now so I guess I probably should have it looked at?? I don’t know. I’d rather it just got better! My right leg’s getting strong though, bonus!!
Anyway, back to the polytunnel, I’m refining what I grow in it for next year, I’m not going to bother with broccoli or squash next year, we aren’t that keen on squash anyway, it’s a huge plant for what you get. The peas (and probably carrots) will be outside instead of inside, I’m going to try for more salad and herbs too I think. More everyday things that’ll be used or stored. We want to do potatoes and onions next year too, we didn’t get round to it this year, although I am going to try for Christmas potatoes, planting them soon. I really want to get it so we have at least something to pick and eat for most of the year. I’m also hoping to get more fruit bushes for around the side of the house, so far we have a couple of blueberry bushes (which haven’t grown much so far) and two gooseberry bushes. So we’d like currants and raspberries to start with.
When I was weeding the other day, in the front garden, I tried to get a huge weed out by the side of one our cornflower plants and I couldn’t because it was going to uproot it, so I had to leave the weed in, otherwise I’d lose the flower.
It made me think (probably obviously to some) of the parable of the weeds. I had to look it up because it was one of those I knew about but couldn’t remember exactly how it went and I was going to put something about it here, but, I don’t think I can do it justice, it’s more complex than I thought, so, it’s Matthew 13:24, read!
The simplistic version is, the Kingdom of heaven is compared to a farmers field in which an enemy has planted weeds in amidst the wheat whilst the men were sleeping. The weeds should not be taken out while the wheat is growing because that would uproot the wheat. There is an explanation given as well in Matthew 13:36 onwards too.
It’s real and raw and confronting, well worth some contemplation. It’s certainly made me look at what it says in greater detail and think about it. It’s serious stuff. What I will say is it might at least suggest that perhaps who is wheat and who is a weed is really not something for us to obsess about… it’s not our job to sort it and actually we don’t know….. It is our job to follow God and do what He tells us, to trust Him. We are responsible for our lives and for not getting entangled in things that are wrong, and if we’re honest, we’re all tempted to sometimes.. and do sometimes..! The way out is Jesus. Point to Jesus. Live for Jesus and with Jesus.
If that’s confusing, I apologise. It’s made me think. Am I committed to God? Do I take Him and sin in my life seriously? Do I spend more time judging than living my life for Him? Am I getting distracted? and for me, am I telling others how to live it whilst not doing it myself? I think everything comes from your own relationship and intimacy with God. All good questions. And no, not condemning but freeing.
Bye for now.
Cathy.
The Shepherds Adventure 