Kitchen Garden Service

Kitchen Garden Service

Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank.

Proverbs 22:29 (NIV)

When the first of August rolls around, you and I might see summer as winding down, but the Amish gardener has different things on her mind. She picks onions by August 1 because she knows they’ll rot if they stay in the ground. Once the onions are picked, she hangs them on a string in the basement to dry. When they are free of moisture, they are laid out on newspapers and tied off.

In Amish homes, “kitchen gardens” are used to produce fruits and vegetables for the family’s own use. Produce is essential to the Amish way of life, and onions, like a lot of other produce, will be stored and used throughout the winter months.

There is something beautiful about a simple garden that reminds us of God’s intricately designed creation. We read in Genesis 2:15, “The LORD God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.” Tending the garden allows us to join with God in His act of supplying the earth. Gardening allows us to organize and create as we tend and watch. We also use our skill to serve our families and communities. God could have designed the produce of this earth to grow without our effort, but as with so many areas in life, He chose to involve us in the process. He no doubt knows and understands the joy and satisfaction we gain from using our skills.

You may not have a garden to tend, but the way you do your work each day provides the best outward reflection of your commitment to serving the Lord. When you work with skill and dedication, you honor God. When you are committed to Him, that shows in the work you do for others.

How do you serve others in real, physical ways? Know that God is pleased by your efforts. He sees the tending and watching you do in others’ lives. He sees the impact. He sees how your service nourishes others’ hearts and souls.

Dear heavenly Father, sometimes work seems like just work. Thank You for the reminder that You are pleased by my service. May my whole heart serve You today.