God's Work: Tomato Edition

This was an impulse. I got a really great batch of cherry tomatoes at the store a few months ago. They were so good, I decided to plant some of the seeds and see what happened. I dug a hole in some dirt, squished the tomato so the seeds fell in, ate the rest of the tomato, covered the seeds, and walked away, only coming back to water it.

In the ground, a seed split, and found purchase in the soil. It sprouted roots and leaves. And now it is bearing fruit. Good fruit.

It’s not lost on me how ironic this is, considering all the years that I have ordered special seeds and planted with such care only for the fruit to be eaten by hornworms or to get blossom end rot, or to succumb to the heat early on. Sometimes we have the "best" materials, and we do everything right, and the fruit just doesn’t grow the way that we thought it would. It's a harsh reminder: the soil doesn't owe us anything.

Then there are other times. Times we are tired or bored or desperate. We throw whatever we have left into the dirt, and to our surprise, fruit grows. Goodness grows.

I've been planting seeds for years now, and it feels like an act of faith every time. I may choose the materials, but the result? It has very little to do with me.

Trusting God can be difficult in some seasons, so I'm glad to have His unchanging Word to help me remember what I so easily forget.

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is He who made us, and we are His;

We are His people and the sheep of his pasture

Enter His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise

Give thanks to Him and praise His name for the Lord is good

His love endures forever and his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100 reminds me that God alone is God. He is holy, faithful, worthy of all our praise, and eternally loving. He alone is Creator, the origin of all things. People and tomatoes.

We are not the Creator. Unlike Him, we are created, dependent on Him for anything good. We work. We plant seeds, not knowing what the Lord will do with them. Then He, our perfect Parent, good Shepherd, and most wonderful Gardener brings about the conditions, the nutrients, even the storm, to bring about the fruit that is best.

God knows how much fruit this plant will bear. It's His work to do. All of this is His, after all. It exists for His glory. WE exist for His Glory. That is good news.

This begs the question, what are we growing? What fruit is God bearing in your life? Is there an invitation, an opportunity? What are you cultivating? Does something need to be pruned?

Don't hold back. If you hear the invitation, heed it. Offer your gifts and talents to the Lord. Plant the seeds. Stay faithful, and keep watch. Pray and read His Word. Hold on to Him. Praise Him. Lament to Him. Ask Him to do something. Beg Him to help you to be faithful in the good work He's given you to do.

We can trust God with what we have. We can trust Him to take care of us, whatever grows. He is good, and all of it belongs to Him.

Thanks for reading, I hope this encourages you today.

I am having a wonderful summer with my sweet babies, and I hope you are too. Just a few more weeks until school starts, let's dig deep and finish this season with joy! ♥️

Updates:

Speaking: I am building my speaking calendar for the fall! Yay! I have a list of topics onmy website, and I am praying about adding one more.

Book: Book Two will release on November 4, 2025! It will be here before we know it!