United Church of God

Letter From Dan Preston - March 25, 2022

Letter From Dan Preston

March 25, 2022

Greetings brethren and happy Sabbath!

Just a reminder that tomorrow we will be having our booklet discussion in Hickory on "Jesus Christ: The Real Story."  We will have our final discussion on this booklet in Charlotte next Sabbath

Anticipation

As mentioned before, I've been getting things ready for a garden this year.  While I planted 228 seeds, only about 3/4 of those came up.  And of the ones transplanted, maybe only half survived.

While that might sound disappointing, it still leaves me with more plants than I will be able to put in the ground (see me if you need anything, I'm going to have plenty of seedlings to share!).  And with the hundred or so plants I have left, there's quite a bit of excitement and anticipation over the plants that survived and the yield I hope to harvest later this year!

What do you look forward to?

There's lot of spiritual lessons to learn from a garden, but the one I've been thinking about the most is the overall purpose for my garden this year.  For example, this year, I'm concentrating on having a 'salsa garden.'  Lots of tomatoes and hot peppers!  We'll have beans, peas and potatoes as well, but I'm really hoping to can a lot of salsa and tomatoes for the winter months.

If we think of God as a gardener, I think it's safe to say that He has planted His garden (mankind), with a purpose as well.  What's His purpose?  As the Holy Day Plan clearly outlines, that purpose, is expanding the family of God!

Are you growing?

So if God has planted us in His garden, it's worth asking: How well are we growing?  While we could spend time thinking about all the seeds that never take hold (consider the parable of the Sower and the seed), I much prefer to think about the seeds that have taken root and are on their way to becoming mature members of the God family.

While God of course will judge our fruits, we have a responsibility to work hard and grow.  It can be encouraging to each of us to consider just how much we've changed over the course of our lifetimes.  In a garden, sometimes it's the most spindly looking plants that produce the most fruit.  How about you?  Did you start off life as a strong, robust plant that had promise, or were spindly and weak, on the verge of dying off?

I think it's safe to say, we were all in that later category when we started.  But like a seedling with a little sun, water and the right conditions, God has produced fruit in our lives.  Let's be thankful to the Master Gardener for His faithful work in us, and let's continue to pray we yield fruit that truly pleases the Father!