Wintertide Tractations: Grow

Wintertide Tractations: Grow

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It's December 17.  Most of you probably already knew that.  Here in the wonderful southern countryside where I live, we've enjoyed lovely warm weather today.  This afternoon my family spent some outside time together.  My parents raked leaves and invited me to join them and Kyrie kept us company on the front steps working on a Christmas gift project we've been hired to do.  {Besides the rush on making the Christmas gifts, we only have two and a half rakes. (Yes, I did say half.  Somehow the handle is not the comfortable normal size.)}  It was delightful outside in the Autumn-like breeze as we raked enthusiastically in our short sleeves.

We burned off the garden weeks ago, but Dad's greens are still vibrant against the blackened earth although they have about reached a state of being too tough to eat.  This evening I discovered Dad's row of pepper plants that long ago fell over are still faithfully bearing fruit.  The poor, withering-looking plants rewarded my visit with seven good-sized peppers.  Those little plants are an inspiration to me.  Even with the cold weather they've experienced, even with the fire that raged around them devouring all the rest of the garden (except the greens), even with the weight of their produce bringing them to humbly kiss the earth, even now that summer is over and our visits are less frequent, they continue to push life-giving nutrients into growing peppers.  They are a tribute to their Creator.

They remind me of some verses from Psalm 92, "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him" (vv. 12-15).

I want to be like that.  There in the presence of the Lord, there in the place where His name is worshiped, right there do the righteous flourish.  Even in time of old age and grey hairs, they continue to live for the Lord and bring honor and glory to Him.  ("Fat" in these verses doesn't have a bad connotation, but instead seems to indicate richness.)

Every day that I live my life I would love to know that I grew closer to the Lord, stronger in my faith, deeper in my love for His Word, His coming  Kingdom, His people, and the lost to whom He would have me reach.  Growth is something our Creator-God must love.  He created the Garden of Eden with all its beautiful foliage and fruits.  He created babies to get taller and mature into capable beings.  He inspires growth in every aspect of nature.  Even burned areas, (like our garden), begin almost immediately to show tiny sprouts that have refused to be defeated after the all-engulfing flames.

In my Bible are 38 instances of the word "grow" but perhaps a verse in 2 Peter is the most familiar to me. It comes as the last of the verses.  Peter has been reminding and exhorting and warning.  Now he says, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen"  (v. 18).