It is February and the seed catalogs are starting to arrive. There is a winter snow advisory out today and the garden articles are calling. The fruit of hope.
I am not a great gardener, but I do enjoy planting
things in the spring and seeing green against dark soil and new growth
each day. The fruit of expectation.
I do not enjoy weeding the garden. I have tried multiple methods of weed prevention, but the weeds outsmart me every year and I have to get out the hoe. The fruit of perseverance.
The first signs of the fruits on the plants is exciting, but the time from the first small and green tomato to a big and red and ready-to-pick tomato is a long time. The fruit of patience.
Groundhogs, squirrels, rabbits and deer also love the garden. We have tried all sorts of barriers and discouraging scents and fences, and they also out-smart us. The fruit of acceptance.
When the fruits are ripe and the bucket is already full, we need to keep harvesting. The fruit of abundance.
The vegetables and fruits are brought in and cooked, dried, canned and frozen for the year to come. The fruit of provision.
Food is available to share and create. The fruit of joy.
God continues to provide the sun, the rain, the soil for the garden and growth. The fruit of love.