I found out recently that I am not a very patient gardener, especially
when it comes to looking after tomato plants. While there was an
abundant crop of green tomatoes growing on the vine, they were
not ripening to the lovely red colour of those we see on sale in the
supermarket. I picked some off and put them in a bowl thinking
they would ripen but to my dismay they did not. It was a bit too early. I guess the
writer in Ecclesiastes provides some good advice that I should have followed: “There
is a time for everything and a season for every activity under activity…. A time to
plant; A time to harvest. Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 2b TLB. Waiting on God’s and His perfect
timing is the key to success. Indeed, the tomatoes still growing on the vine are now
beginning to turn. Coincidentally my sister Heather offered me some helpful advice
to help the tomatoes along that I’d picked too soon. If you place a ripe tomato
amongst the green ones, a chemical in the former causes the latter to follow quickly
suit.

It is a helpful illustration of how we can live distinctively different lives by showing
faith in action and share the love of Jesus with others around us to transform hearts
and minds over time. One of many ways we can do this is to share God’s goodness
we receive at harvest-time, when we give thanks to God for the food we have to eat,
harvested by hard working farmers and gardeners. Our harvest thanksgiving service
on Sunday 24th September enables us to cheerfully give our food donations to the
Ipswich Family and Baby bank and our monetary gifts to the BMS Land of Plenty
harvest appeal. Let’s try to do that because God loves a cheerful giver.

Prayers and blessings and love,

Robert