Delivered to the Doorstep

 

Delivered to the Doorstep

When Al and I were ready to plant veggies in our six square garden beds at the beginning of the summer, there were ample varieties to choose from. It was hard to keep in mind the size of the beds, and to visualize how much room the mature plants would need.

Looking back, four zucchini plants turned out to be three too many for one square; however, at the time, one small plant in each corner seemed just about right. It was our first time growing zucchini here in Michigan.

The leaves of the squash grew large, reaching upward for light and growing over the boards for space. Orange blossoms were plentiful on the plants; however, there didn’t seem to be any zucchini. We really didn’t know what to expect.

It was important to keep checking for them though, after what happened to us in Springville. Our late friend and longtime Springville resident, Ed Mountain, told Al they were difficult to grow! Up for the challenge, Al planted two long rows of them. He was determined to show Ed that he could grow zucchini!

With the intense heat and long hours of California sunshine, we were soon overrun with squash, much to Ed’s amusement. We quickly found out they had to be harvested while they were still small! If a couple of days passed by, they could quickly become almost as big as baseball bats! Our neighbors soon grew weary of eating zucchini; and I had to search to find creative ways to use them in recipes.

When the temperature began heating up a few weeks ago, they finally began appearing under the leaves. At first, they were only an inch or two long, then a few more inches. Maybe the heat spell was what they needed.   

On one trip to the grocery store, the friendly man at the meat counter asked, “Well is it hot enough for you?”

“I’m from California,” I replied. “It’s never too hot. I have to store up this heat so that I’ll be ready for winter! Do you like the cold, or the heat?”

 “Well,” he said, “neither! I like the fall, when it feels just right.”

Maybe the meat man, along with many other Michiganders, didn’t like the hot temperatures, but I sure did! And as it turned out, so did the zucchini! After forgetting to check them for a few days, I was mortified to find a couple of huge ones beneath the leaves. They were not quite as large as formerly, but big enough to feed the two of us for a week!

I began texting folks here in our neighborhood and found many takers! That was nice! As more began to grow, I started making the rounds, delivering the zucchini to their doorsteps in plastic bags. In return, people shared their basil, cherry tomatoes, and other fruit of their labors.

One afternoon, our doorbell rang. Neighbor Michael was standing on the doorstep holding two huge cucumbers in his arms. His was a familiar story: He and his wife had been gone for a few days. Upon their return, they were shocked by the size of their cucumbers!

I laughed and ended up taking them both. The juicy cucumbers tasted great and were perfect in salads during the warm weather. Veggies delivered to the doorstep…nice to receive and also, fun to share.

How pleasing it is to grow a garden and reap the results of our labor, and then to share them with others! How pleasing it must be to God when we, His children, stop and thank Him for all He has done for us!

Psalm 150 contains all we need to know about praise: 1) Where? Wherever we are!  2) Why? God’s very nature demands our praises. 3) How and when? With music, dance, and every time we breathe!

Let’s deliver our praises to His doorstep today!   

 “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6 NIV

“Let everything that…

 has breath praise the Lord

Let everything that…

has breath praise the Lord

Praise You in the morning
Praise You in the evening
Praise You when I'm young and when I'm old

Praise You when I'm laughing
Praise You when I'm grieving
Praise You every season of the soul

If we could see how much You're worth
Your power, Your might, Your endless love
Then surely we would never cease to praise…”

 (“Let Everything That Has Breath…” Matt Redman 1999)