God Issues Today: "Vegetable Follies"

Author, educator and commentator Dr. James Denison has been pastor of Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas since June, 1998. Prior to that, he was pastor at churches in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as Midland (at First Baptist) and Mansfield, Texas.

There's bad news in the news: Michelle Obama is planting a vegetable garden. Today's New York Times tells us about the one she arranging for the White House, as a way of educating children about healthy eating at a time when obesity and diabetes are a national concern. That's wonderful and commendable. But if she's hoping I'll follow her lead, she's going to be disappointed.

Been there, done that. When Janet and I moved into the parsonage of New Hope Baptist Church in a rural part of the Ft. Worth area, we had the same idea. Having never done this before, I rented a roto-tiller to break up the dirt alongside our house. My shoulders still ache from the experience. The weeds I was trying to evict didn't take the hint, returning later that week with all their friends.

We planted zucchini which grew overnight to watermelon size, in numbers great enough to feed Patton's army. Janet decided to pitch the ones we couldn't eat over the barbed-wire fence to the adjacent cows, throwing out her arm in the process. The fire ants ate more than we did, and consumed most of my toes in the process. It's not a pretty picture.

My failed garden is a metaphor for the events of these days. Financial deregulation which was intended to engender further prosperity has led to the "Great Recession," as some are now calling this crisis. Industries whose business plans made good sense two years ago are failing. It's an act of courage to watch the morning news.

We've been looking for ways to deal with the stress of these hard days. Paul promised us "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding," if we would bring every pain and problem first to God in prayer (Philippians 4:7). I've not found that an easy reflex to develop. I live in a self-sufficient culture, where self-dependence is an exalted virtue and relying on others is a sign of weakness. My tendency is to plow the garden and plant the vegetables, then ask God to bless my efforts. I tend to give him my garden only when it has outgrown my ability to cope with its fire ants.

Do you know the feeling? Let's resolve together to take every event of this Friday to God. Let's pray first about every decision and conversation and action. Before we speak to others, let's pause to ask the Spirit to speak to us. Before we choose, let's ask the Father to show us his choice. When we're tempted or frustrated or angry, let's take that feeling or problem immediately to God. Only the Lord knows what the harvest of a day given to him may bring. Sola Dei Gloria.