Part II: Hope For A Harvest
Sometimes, you have to get in the garden and clean it up a little, to see your way forward to hope of a harvest.
Remember in my tomato post, I mentioned that beginners should consult more experienced gardeners? Well, I was the beginner, in this case. I’ve never grown okra before. I don’t even like okra. I did not consult my DuckDuckGo friends or my Facebook gardening groups. I ignored the spacing recommendations on the seed packet. I just planted a bunch of okra seeds together to see what would happen. To my amazement, they grew quickly with loads of lush, beautiful greens (which, by the way, are edible, when cooked)!
I did try the okra leaves. Unlike sweet potato leaves which have an enjoyable taste, I wasn’t too keen on the okra leaf flavor. Won’t be doing that again.
Some interesting things happened with this okra though.
One, ants were farming aphids on it. This was my first experience with “farmer ants.” I saw the ants – thought there were more than the standard amount, and also thought, great, they’re pollinating! Uh. No. As it turns out, ants farm aphids and protect them from predators. They do this to get the sweet sap secreted by the aphids, who are in turn, devouring the plant.
Sigh.
I may share some insights on that in another post, but not here.
Two, all the okra seeds sprouted and grew. I have not had a 100% germination rate, ever. They were way too close together and crowding each other out. I ended up needing to thin them out. Twice.
Left bottom: after first thinning
Right top: before thinning; six plants together
Right middle: first thinning down to three plants
Right bottom: second thinning down to two plants
The first harvest was lost to the ants. I mean, to the aphids, thanks to the ants. Once I thinned out the plants – I could see what was going on and manage properly.
Many vegetables take a while to grow after the flower has been pollinated, so I was not super vigilant in checking for the actual ripe okra. On the first harvest, some of the okra was too large to enjoy. It was kind of woody, fibrous, and tough. I have since learned that okra takes only 3-4 days to mature after flowering, and one should only allow them to grow 2-3 inches long for the best enjoyment. Also noted and incorporated into my harvest timelines for the garden.
This got me thinking about the many times I’ve had hope for a harvest in life, in different areas.
The ideal hope for any harvest is delicious sustenance. Food is grown to be eaten! If you have the know-how, you can save seeds for next season. If you have enough to can that’s a plus, and of course, if you have enough to share with neighbors, those are bonus points!
Sometimes I get excited about the fluff. You know, big showy leaves for all to see. Everything looks prosperous and healthy. But there are things happening on the underside that I’m not even aware of, competing for or even destroying my hope for a harvest. I just need to notice and clean it up a little.
It should be obvious that something is off, but why don’t I notice when my hope for a harvest is being devoured? The reasons can vary, depending on the season of my life, but likely, I am too busy to see that something is not right. Or to pay attention to the alarm going off within. Call it pruning, call it chopping out the unnecessary things, but the bottom line is that life has probably gotten very crowded, and some things just need to be thinned out.
Planting things close together and not knowing what will spring up, is one thing (like overbooking). Knowing when to cut back, prune, clean up, thin out – is a whole other deal. Do we want big, showy leaves only? We can’t really see what’s going on underneath but there’s plenty of eye candy. Even if the leaves are nutritious, we’re only getting a peripheral harvest and not the “meat” of the sustenance. It would be better to take the necessary and oftentimes unpleasant task of getting rid of the clutter so we can reap a delicious, fat, juicy harvest. Slash the budget. Say no to unnecessary events. Re-prioritize tasks.
Give me true sustenance over eye candy any day.
Jesus said come unto me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28, NIV) Sometimes that rest can be a turning away from the mindset that every single second of our day needs to be scheduled. When we have time to rest, our minds are more clear and our souls are healthier. Somehow that simple act of resting and turning our attention to our Savior enables us to deal with the things that bring clutter and confusion, steal our joy, and yes, our praise too! He gives us rest. When we let him. He gives us hope. He restores our joy. He draws our attention to the farmer ants and says: get rid of those guys!
In Proverbs 13:12 it is stated that hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. (NIV) Sometimes we know things are overcrowded and yet we also think somehow that we can manage it all. The results can be catastrophic: not enough time to unwind, an inability to spend focused time in the presence of the Lord, no time to relax with family, and an inability to pursue our own dreams and goals. At best, it’s a reduced harvest (realized goal, joy, peace, or even energy to help where you should be able to help), and at worst, no harvest and complete burnout. Even if there is a harvest in there somewhere, where will we find the time to reap it? We cannot let our hope of a harvest be deferred due to a lack of attention.
Should we ignore others then, when we are busy, and focus only on our well-being? No, we should absolutely “do” for others – with the right motivation of the heart. And speaking of the heart, sometimes we just need to give the Lord a chance to clean it up a little, as well! You will be pleasantly surprised at the blessings that come back to you in the harvest. I was growing okra for others in our household who enjoy it. I have discovered: I now enjoy it too! Fried, of course. Talk about joy in the harvest!
I had to clean it up a little, yes. But it was well worth the end result.
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