Door Prize

Last Saturday I filled out the slip at the bottom of the last page of the Garden Walk brochure, tore it off, and put it in a box on the table in the last garden we visited.  To my surprise, yesterday morning I received a phone call informing me I was the winner of the door prize!

It  meant a 30 minute drive, but we got in the car later in the afternoon and made the trip! (I had no idea what the prize would be.)  Arriving at the Van Wert County Extension Office, I identified myself, extended my arms, and received it.

 Now, in all honesty, I'm not a REAL gardener.  Just a "wannabe".  So as I unpacked the prize, I guessed at some of the items.  By the time we arrived home, I had figured most of them out.  I'll have to grow into a few of them, and  I'll have to wait till next year to try out the hanging tomato planter.  I wonder if I'll EVER be a serious enough gardener to actually use the Quiver...

I may give a couple of them to a serious gardening friend this morning when I go over to help her weed her garden.  If we get some rain, she may have harvest enough to actually NEED the Harvester!

This whole experience reminds me of the gift of salvation!  Unexpected.  Free.  (I DID need to "sign up" for it and receive it.)  I didn't know all that salvation meant, and I still don't fully appreciate it--after all these years.  There are still aspects of it to acquaint myself with as I "work out" my salvation "with fear and trembling".  And there is much in my salvation to share with others....

I'm sure there are many other parallels to my door prize.  But they'll have to wait, since  I need to get an early start to get to my friend's garden! At 7:00 a.m. it's already 75 degrees with a forecast for 97.

Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you.

And now that I am away, it is even more important. 

Work hard to show the results of your salvation,

obeying God with deep reverence and fear.  (Philippians 2:12)