Gardens and Encouragement

This time of year, I keep busy in our vegetable garden. I inherited the garden-growing bug from my dad, who grew more than three acres of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and berries when I was a child. Even as a senior citizen, he kept a small but very productive garden until his death at age ninety. My gardens are never as good as his, and they tend to have a lot more weeds. However, I do produce plenty of healthy food for my husband and me—as well as extra beans, tomatoes, and especially zucchini that I share with neighbors and our little church.

That little church has gone through changes since I wrote today’s devotional. We have new leadership and a multi-cultural emphasis now. Some people have left for larger bodies, while new members have joined. We are adjusting to the changes and looking for more ways to serve the community. But one thing has not changed: our little body still has lots of encouragers and lots of love to share. And we are trying harder than ever to support and encourage everyone in the body so nobody will feel like they don’t belong.