Planting and Growing

This is the first year in almost a decade that I did not plant a garden. We always had a garden growing up and once I reached adulthood this became a labor of love for me, as well. Normally, my backyard and patio are filled with tomatoes, onions, peppers, lettuce, squash, herbs, and more. We built raised beds and collected planters at our last house. Something was growing everywhere. I would spend the summer watering and tending to the plants, guarding them from rabbits, frost, and hail storms, watching the plants grow as Evan and our dog Sidney played in the backyard. With the move and preparations for a baby on the way, I did not get to plant anything this year. I am thankful for the abundance of Farmer’s Markets in the Tulsa area to make up for my lack of homegrown produce.As a society, we have largely gotten away from growing our own foods. Everything arrives ready-made at our local grocery stores. If you need a tomato, whether it is in season or not, it is there waiting on you. Stores are even providing pre-packaged chopped fruits and vegetables for us now. Being so far removed from the process that makes our food, we lose track of how it grows. We do not see the effort and energy. We do not witness the growing process and care. We do not know the dedication that it takes to go from a seed to plant to fruit or vegetable to eat.As we move into October and the start of Stewardship season, I am thankful for the dedicated planters, farmers, and growers of Southminster Presbyterian Church. Southminster has a long history tilling and planting the field of Brookside and beyond. You establish and grow ministries. You tend to them through long years. You reap the harvest after loyal service.Our Stewardship Campaign speaks to that spirit of planting and growing: Together We Grow. We are the sowers and growers of this church and of this community. Together we change for the better and impact our community. Together we show the love and grace of God. Together our spiritual lives expand. Together our mission increases. Together we see more lives enriched in worship and study. Together our lives are stirred to new action. This is a process and it takes time, but it is a labor of love that we do together.Soon you will receive a Together We Grow Stewardship Campaign letter and pledge card. As you prayerfully consider your pledge for 2017, consider the growth you would like to see in the Southminster community. As a farmer of this mission field, what are you willing to commit to make that growth happen? How are you willing to participate in this new planting season?I love seeing my garden grow. I looked forward even more to seeing all that God is about to do in this church. Together We Grow.