Sometimes we forget that God loves to bear fruit from the most unruly vines and branches.
That those we neglect and are tossed to the side often sprout up into something beautiful.
I tended my main garden dutifully. It was the one that was always present as I was going about my way. Through my kitchen window, on my porch reading, in my backyard playing with the kids…I could always see it just down the hill. I dutifully watered, carefully tied up, picked and prodded. It looked good, but it did not bear much fruit. We got a few tomatoes here and there, and some cukes that sprouted, but rotted on the vine.
This little space was an afterthought. A spot to go with the items that weren’t quite as big a priority to me. Peppers, jalapeños and one leftover heirloom tomato. I can’t see it from my back door, I have to walk down the hill and around the corner. I have to be intentional about remembering to water it and tend it, and more often than not, I forgot.
It’s October now, and my main summer garden has long been dug up and settled in for the winter. It stopped producing in August, despite continued warm weather. It just kind of gave up.
I walked down to check the other garden this morning. It was wild and unruly, quite the eyesore, I wanted to see if it had run its course and was ready to be pulled up. I’m itching to put something else in it’s place…potatoes I think. I was surprised to find that it was still just as bountiful as it was in August, the peak season. I’ll have several more bell peppers in a few days, and so many jalapeños! I just ignored them, since I still have a couple dozen residing in my fridge and have no idea what to do with them. As I leaned down and spotted these guys, I just smiled. Tomatoes in October. Only God. I smiled as He reminded me how He loves to use the wild and unruly vines to produce fruit.
The best fruit from my garden came from that wild tomato plant. Never staked, never pruned, left to wind and wander through the weeds it found light, and produced. Even when everything else had died off, it was still working.
From one wild and unruly vine who hasn’t always made sense, can I encourage you to Do the Hard Thing and seek one out?
Maybe there’s someone you know who seems to have a fire for the Lord, but is never consistent, keeps dropping off, and doesn’t always make the best decisions. Maybe there is someone you know who seems to have so much potential, but doesn’t always direct it in the best place. Maybe there is someone always on the fringe that you feel consistently compelled to go talk to. Go…you never know what can happen with going out of your way to check in and some water. The Lord uses that, and produces fruit.
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV, emphasis mine)
To keep up with posts, be sure to head over to the Facebook page and like it, or subscribe to the email list above!
This post is part of the #write31days challenge hosted by The Nester.
Click here to read all the posts in the 31 days of Doing the Hard Thing series.
Click here to see some of the other contributors in this challenge.
