Yahweh's Grace...In Spite of Myself

Fresh from the garden: Escarole

 













​I am often contemplative when Yahweh uses the same type of lesson repeatedly in my life. There always seems to be MORE that I am supposed to grasp.  A great example of this is His use AGAIN of my planting seeds and His causing them to sprout sooner than directed on the packages. Yes, He did it again, and it is one that I did not deserve. At least not from my human perspective. Because life just throws you curves sometimes that take you down a different direction, I wasn’t diligent in my care of Yahweh’s previous blessings. And because of this, I wondered why He honestly bothered to bless me again. Let me explain. . .

In spring, I was so excited about this year’s garden because our soil was better prepared than last year, and we had worms galore thanks to Yahweh’s previous gift to our ground. I was filled with hope for a great harvest and wonderful vegetables all through summer. My mind was even excited about putting things up in the freezer for winter soups and stews.

When it came to starting seeds, I planted the various greens first, then a week or so later, I started beans, peas, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and squashes. With college, ministry, and life, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with the thought of having to plant all those seedlings once sprouted, yet still longed for the wonderful blessing of freshness from the garden.

Sadly, with it getting too hot too fast this spring, I fell very far behind on getting the greens into the ground. I got all the other plants in, some a bit later than they should have, but they were in and growing well. The greens, though, were still in starter pots come mid-July and they were strangling each other. Sadly, they finally ended up in a bucket full of old potting soil in the hopes that they will compost and help refurbish the soil for new plants next spring.

I was feeling somewhat ashamed one day while sitting on the back deck praying, looking over what a gift I felt I had disrespected. I believed I wasted a great blessing which we COULD have been enjoying at our dinner table. Or we could have been putting greens up in the freezer to use in the winter. At least I was trying to “reuse and recycle” them into new soil. It just didn’t seem to alleviate my guilt. I asked Yahweh to forgive me for being wasteful and hoped I would do better with the next batch. We tend to be harder on ourselves and much less forgiving of self than Yahweh is, but I tried to let it go.

Thursday, July 18th I decided it was time to start a new batch of greens for the fall. I read the packages all the time so that I know how long it will take and when to expect sprouts to appear. I made a note that they should be sprouting sometime midweek the next week. Shabbat morning, just two days later, I saw that the Romaine had already sprouted as did the peas and many of the bush and pole beans! By Sunday morning, the Romaine sprouts were already almost a full inch tall!

At first, I was excited and so very grateful. But then the guilt crept back in. I even found myself thinking, “Yahweh, why did you bless us so quickly with these sprouts after what I had done to your previous blessings?” I didn’t get an audible answer as I sometimes do. I simply felt a peace fill me up. A simple, quiet, loving peace that just testified that I had been forgiven when I asked. I felt humbled and knew that He had granted me this great blessing in spite of myself. And that I needed to try harder to care for them and get them into the ground as soon as they are strong enough to weather the elements. I also felt assured that we would continue to be greatly blessed from our garden, it felt as though it was a strong promise.

We often feel unworthy of His promises, don’t we? And yet He gives them so easily, so willingly.
 
Scripture references:

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.
​Hebrews 8:12 WEB

…in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,… Ephesians 1:7 WEB

---

---

Audio Blog Now Available

Yahweh's Grace