Faith Like Tomatoes

I haven't been very excited about my garden lately because I haven't felt very successful. I have never gardened before and I feel completely unqualified to grow even one thing! However, I have been faithful to water it and do some occasional fertilizing (maybe too late for some!). I see evidence of growth, but haven't had any fruit when it comes to tomatoes. I have compared my garden to others and I can tell it looks kinda diseased in spots. The tomatoes have been green, but green for a long time. I just walk over, turn on the sprinkler, let it go for awhile, and pray that God will make them fruitful. To be honest, it has been so hot, that I haven't really spent a lot of time looking at the plants themselves very much the past couple of days. My mom came over and wanted to see how it was doing, so she headed out to check on them. She came back in and was excited to announce that I have two reddish looking tomatoes hanging out there! WHAT?! I DO?! I ran outside to see for myself. Sure enough... there sat two orangey-looking tomatoes.

Sometimes my faith is just too small.

Yesterday, at church, I was coordinating for the children's ministry, but I stepped inside the sanctuary for about 15 minutes during the sermon. Those 15 minutes were exactly what I needed to hear. He was talking about how true believers are the power of the church when we are scattered out into this city. Church isn't one or two hours on Sunday. We are the Church, Christ's Church, and we are taking the gospel everywhere we go 24/7. I really was convicted, in my own life, because I have gotten so complacent over the last few weeks. I've been absorbed in myself, in my wants/desires, and I have once again fallen into the routine of going through the motions. I have my agenda and as long as I get done what I want to get done, then all is well.

I can't really explain it, but God took ahold of my heart again on Sunday. He opened up my little tunnel vision that I have for my life, and made me think about faith in Him, about others around me, about being a praying woman, about being intentional with whoever I run into. Stop talking about yourself, your pregnancy, your whatever... Give God the glory!

While we were on vacation, Hart's mom would need a wheelchair to get around most of the airports. Everytime she would sit down and the caddy would cart her around, she would immediately say "I have cancer...." and go into all that she has going on. Then, she would ask the caddy if they believed in God. Only two believed in Jesus out of eight. I would selfishly think... oh, please, not again. Why does she have to tell everyone this stuff? I think I even got a little annoyed and showed that frustration a time or two, to which she replied... "When I tell them about all that I have going on, then they see that I am willing to open up. It is amazing all that those caddies (usually foreigners) have been through, the things they tell you in about 15 minutes time!"

This didn't really impact me right then, but when I realize that I came into countless situations with people in the different airports traveling, sitting on the plane, or even just this past week at home, at the grocery store, wherever my two feet have taken me.... I was absorbed in myself. I really didn't care about them, about their need to hear the gospel.

I have to die to myself daily. Lord, I give my all to you!

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." -Galatians 2:20

The gospel changes you. It changes me all the time and yet sometimes I don't believe that it will change others. Jesus is the answer. He is always the answer!