Late In The Season

Tucked away in the corner of my backyard is a small square of earth called my Salad Garden. Lettuce, zucchini, and tomatoes were neatly planted in a place where it could get sunshine all day long. The harvest was delectable!

The other day, I went to my Salad Garden to prepare the ground for winter. There among the yellowing lanky plants was one last green tomato. It hung by itself. It hadn’t ripened yet and the cooler mornings and cold evening had damaged it.

Just like my last rose of summer, which is still a brilliant red by the way, it was hanging on late in the growing season. There was still a chance it may ripen before the first frost.

Let us pray:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.”

John 15: 1

Dear Lord,

Help those of us who take a little longer to reach full maturity in the things of God. Protect us from the elements in life that can stunt our growth. Surround us with a love that will keep us until we are ready for the next level of faith.

You are the vinedresser and apart from you we can do nothing. Even when there is a change in the atmosphere, grant us a grace to hang on a little while longer. Prune away the dead growth to make way for the new. Resource us so that even if it is late in the season, we can bear much fruit. In Jesus name, Amen.

VMM