Keep On Keepin’ On

You can take the boy away from the farm, but you can’t take the farming out of the boy. Or at least, the old man.

I knew when we moved to the old people place, Ronald needed to have his garden. Since they don’t want us putting anything in the ground, we got enough pots and dirt to begin. Two or three more trips occurred to get more pots for different plants. This has been his experiment year he says.

Since spring, he has successfully babied lettuce, radishes, leeks, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, and peppers in their restrictive environments. The wind has knocked over two pots of tomatoes a number of times, but still they survive. He dotes on them as carefully as he did the huge garden he had in Thomaston. Morning and night, he faithfully waters the plants which dry out quickly with the bright sunlit exposure.

Some of the plants have decided that fall is just around the corner and it is time to give up on providing any more produce. The tomatoes are dwindling down – especially the ones who have been wind wrestling all season.

He planted the butternut squash late after harvesting some other early season plants, and we have picked several squash from the original growth. It seemed that the plants were on their last leg as the leaves began to shrivel and turn crusty brown.

But lo and behold! Ronald and I were sitting on the back porch last night when I looked over at the long vine coming from the pot by the window. There was definitely deadness for a number of feet of the vine.

And then, the miracle!

Fresh extensions on the deadish vine have appeared and are lush with bright green leaves. How is it doing that? Not only that, there are yellow flowers and tiny little squashes growing in several places.

I told Ronald his squash plants are an object lesson in the making.

So here goes. And maybe it only applies to us old codgers.

But maybe not.

And I decided to let the truth of God’s word speak for me  …  so much better than my ramblings. But do think on these verses and let them make a difference in how you believe and act.

Galatians 6:9  ‘And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.’

2 Chronicles 15:7  ‘But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.

Romans 8:26 ff   ‘Likewise the Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.’

2 Corinthians 4:16 ‘So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.’

‘Proverbs 16:13   ‘Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Psalm 92:14  ‘They still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing.’