Faith of a Mustard Seed

Faith of a Mustard Seed or …

The miracle of the Fried Green Tomatoes

Have you ever seen fruit or vegetables grow from a dead tree or plant? I have. I just went out to my garden and though it is brown and obviously dead and covered with weeds, I just picked some beautiful big Green Tomatoes and a bag full of shiny red cherry tomatoes, some banana, red and green peppers and a couple of perfect cucumbers. I am not making this up. I have enough real life crazy stuff that goes on everyday in this maniac life of mine to have to make anything up.

I couldn’t believe it! There they were like a little gift from God. Completely against everything that all my green thumb ancestors ever taught me about a garden. You sow it, you keep it up by hoeing and weeding and watering and loving it and talking to it every day and you reap the reward. Hard work + diligence + patience= all the good veggies and fruit you could ever ask for (and FRIED GREEN TOMATOES).  But I haven’t been doing any of that lately. I have ignored my little garden and pretty much given up hope that it would continue feeding my growing Fried Green Tomato addiction. My job keeps me pretty busy. It is hard to schedule when a homeless family might need your undivided attention. Couple that with my overwhelming need to be lazy on the weekends…you are just asking for a dead garden.

But there it was this morning, green tomatoes, ripe tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers of every size and degree of hotness, just waiting for me to harvest.  Maybe God wanted to say, “Well done, my true and faithful servant”.  He knows I have been lax in going to church like I should, in reading my bible and studying like I should. He also knows I have felt guilty about it and expecting a “dry patch” of blessings. But just like always, He shows up just when I need Him. He reminded me that His eye is on the sparrow and the lily. He knows every bleached hair on my head. He knows every tear that falls and every heart that is breaking... so why couldn’t he just bring forth a green tomato from a dead plant? He healed the sick and made the dead man rise. And I expect so little from him each day. "You don't have it, 'cause you don't ask for it!"  (I am paraphrasing there a little.)

I think it was not a test of my faith as much as a ‘reminder’ of my faith. I still get caught up in being so unworthy of God’s grace, mercy and goodness that I forget he is not only 'worthy' …he is ‘able’. It was a gentle but healthy dose of “You do what you are supposed to and let me take care of the rest, kiddo."

My expectation of what God found acceptable was different from his. Sort of like the story of Cain. He brought as a sacrifice what he “thought” God would be pleased with, “look at me, look how hard I worked and what I did” not really seeking the heart of God. I was tasked with “getting over myself” for a little while. To put my needs way back on the back burner and stop worrying about my own happiness for a change. It seemed impossible. My heart was breaking. I felt alone and scared and my feelings were just plain out, old fashioned ‘hurt’.  But the more I concentrated on others, the more it helped. It didn’t make the pain go away, but I stopped dwelling on it. It didn’t change the circumstances but it changed the way I reacted to them. And low and behold, I got my dog back and more FRIED GREEN TOMATOES.

To me….my poor garden looked dead, worthless and unproductive…to God it looked like a good place to make a miracle happen! I think he looks at me the same way sometimes.  Wow...and I don't say that lightly...Wow!

With love and gratitude for all your prayers~~ Squirrely Girl