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TITLE: God's Miracle for the Mustard Seed Harvest March 31, 2015 By Sheila Mills 03/31/15 |
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God’s Miracle for the Mustard Seed Harvest
I planted a whole pack of mustard green seeds at the beginning of fall 2014. I also planted cherry tomatoes and two rows of okra. To my wonder and delight, the tomatoes yielded an abundant crop. Just when I thought I had picked the last harvest, new flowers emerged and then the delectable fruit. The okra stalks grew tall and even displayed their budding flowers yet yielded no harvest. Finally, the cold frost killed the okra plants and I discarded the stems that were left barely standing.
So you might be wondering, what happened to the rest of the harvest? The mustard greens were in full bloom at a height of about 4 inches. At first, I thought I had planted too many seeds in the same container, as they appeared crowded but rapidly increasing in stature. I watered them just like I had watered the tomato plants and okra seeds (well, my brother Tim actually dug the rows and kept up with the okra, perhaps he envisioned one of his gumbo recipes at full harvest). One day, while standing at a distance from the ledge where the planter with the mustard greens was sitting, I noticed that the garden was now only stems in the planting soil. As I drew closer, I was devastated to find that the squirrels had apparently munched on all of my mustard green leaves, leaving only a garden of stems. Just when I was about to dump the whole thing on the ground, I noticed there was one single mustard leaf standing tall amidst the other topless stems. Amazing!
From time to time, my brother Tim and I continued to be amazed at the manifestation of this one mustard leaf’s “determination” to come to full harvest despite facing adverse circumstances. So, I decided to nurture the plant to full bloom and then honor its tenacity by cooking it at just the right time –along with a full grown bunch of mustards greens purchased from the store. Well, I did not remain faithful to my commitment to water and nurture my one little harvest treasure. Although I was not faithful in caring for the mustard green leaf, it still weathered the sun, rain and storms. I noticed it was still there even in times of freezing rains and frost. Increasingly, Tim and I often marveled over this little leaf’s survival; we had never seen anything like this before.
How did this single mustard green leaf survive the munchies attack of the squirrel, fierce winter rain, freezing frost, and record breaking low temperatures? It can only be explained by the miraculous hand of The Creator God.
Today, as children of God living in oftentimes fierce and bitter cold rainstorms of life, Ephesians 6:13 (NIV) calls us to “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” So, even when we experience feelings of being slowly diminished by those things that "munch away" at our joy and ability to stand tall in the midst of every circumstance), let us press forward, and not only stand, but having done all to stand.
Finally, let us stand in expectancy of a full bloom and a miraculous harvest. The lonely mustard seed now beautifully displays a bountiful harvest--God's Miracle for the Mustard Seed Harvest.
©Sheila L. Mills 2014 All Rights Reserved.
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