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At our altitude, tomato plants will
survive only if given special treatment. Mid-June of this year, it snowed just
a few miles from us. Tomatoes don't seem to like that! They also don't respond
well to our dry climate and harsh sunlight. Leaves wilt quickly in the relentless
sun and dry heat.
In
order to keep our tomato plants alive, we grow them in a 5-gallon bucket
that we drag into the
house at night when the temperature dips. During the day, we can position
the fragile plants in
the shade to cut the stress on them. It is Ben and Daniel's daily job
to water and tend them
so they don't succumb
to the elements. Sometimes they look pretty sad
and wilted before being rescued.
God sent
Someone to "tend" us like my boys tend their plants. Jesus told His
disciples that "another comforter"
would come in His place when He went to be with the Father
(see
John 14:16-17). We
know Him as the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "...It is to your advantage that
I go away; for if I
do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send
Him to you."
We are like my kids' tomato plants. The elements around us suck
a lot from of us. Life's turmoils and sunny pressures blow us around and bake
us. Our spirits get sapped. We need water from above to revive us. The Holy Spirit
is our Divine Gardener, offering us refreshment when we need it most.
All Scripture references are from the New American Standard
Version unless otherwise noted.
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Wilted
