I am not successful in growing much . But,
now I have grown a tomato plant that produces tomatoes I actually enjoy! It is a huge triumph among
endless gardening failures. I have never had another plant like it. I have never had a plant that lived so long! The
vines have grown over and out of the tomato cage, climbing all the way up to
the top of a tree growing close by. They wrap around the tree branches and loop around the
trunk. Tomatoes hang heavy from tree
limbs, which now sag lower than they should. I’m sure the tree is stressed out by the
presence of this new garden pest. And
the flowers and bushes probably feel the same.
My dear tomato plant has moved and spread out in all the wrong places,
over the tops of flowers, in spite of weeds, and regardless of anything else in
its path. It sure can grow, but I am
sorry to say, it is not pretty. It’s a mess.
Last week, a light frost covered the grass. I decided that I really should work on
pulling that tomato plant out of my “garden”. But I
needed to pick the ripe tomatoes first.
As I picked, my resolve to pull up the plant weakened. Didn't the weather man say it would be warmer
next week? Maybe it’s too early to pull
it up. Maybe I could just give it a
really good trim. I worked for a long
time, picking, trimming, untangling vines from tree branches. The more I worked on it, the more problems I saw. This plant is a wreck. It’s wrecking my flowers and my tree! It looks terrible. But I love it. I dearly love it. Why?
Because I planted it. And it
grew. And there are yummy tomatoes.
I identify with my imperfect, unorganized plant. Like it, I am unable to even appear as if I
have everything together. Like it, I am
a tangled mess. I thought about this as I
worked, wondering if my imperfect life was producing as many “tomatoes” as this
plant is. It might not be doing
everything perfectly, but it sure is doing what it was planted to do…producing
tomatoes!
I love you like you
love this plant.
I felt that message
loud and clear as the Lord spoke to my soul.
I see your imperfections, your short-comings, your over-reaching, your
accomplishments, disappointments, all that is unfinished, and what is yet to
come. You may not be perfect, but even imperfect plants can produce
tomatoes. I love you because I planted
you. I made you. You are mine.
The tomato plant didn't get pulled up last week. God lifted up my discouraged heart, instead.
It turns out, the weather man was right. It has warmed up again. My tomato plant is much the same. New tomatoes ripen every day. I need to
trim it. It is still too big. The tree is still stressed out. The plant looks like a giant obnoxious weed. But now, the thought of uprooting it makes me
sad. Whenever I look at it, I see myself,
a tangled mess who wishes so much to somehow keep growing in Christ. And I remember that God loves me. He loves me like I love my plant. Mess and all."As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love."
John 15:9
