Purposeful Pollination

Well, gardening has proven to be a full-time fight; a fight to plant on time, a fight against weeds and grass, a fight to keep the plants healthy, and fighting the pests, has given me a headache. It feels like a losing battle and is very discouraging!

 

The squash and zucchini had big beautiful blooms but the fruit was dying before it could grow. Come to find out, the female blooms were not being pollinated by the male blooms. So, every morning I've had to go out and pollinate because it seems the bees are busy in other places. 

The tomatoes have acquired a disease that comes from the soil. It has no cure and is highly contagious. Once it starts, every infected leaf will spread to the others it touches. 

The slugs and snails, beetles, and worms are more than I can fight and it's tempting to give up and just let it all go.

Gardening seems to be a lot like living the Christian life. It is a constant fight to keep our feet planted in God's soil. If we look at the world around us, the evil seems to far outnumber the good and it looks like a losing battle.

It is easy for us to get busy like bees in other places, but we need to purposefully pollinate with encouragement. "Speaking to each other in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" Ephesians 5:19. 

We should be mindful not to spread disease from infected soil. Sharing gossip and pointing out the weaknesses of others does nothing to promote health or nurture growth. 

"Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful, But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law does he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper" Psalm 1:1-3

So, let's keep our feet planted in the soil of God's word. Keep watchful in prayer for the pests that seek to destroy. And guard our tongue that it doesn't spread disease that purposeful pollination will yield healthy Christian living.