Confession 252: On Not Growing Tomatoes

Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21

"Do you have a vision for yourself?" my health coach asked.  Well, that's the key question, isn't it?  It's hard to go forward with something if you don't have a vision of what you want to achieve.

"My best friend is a pioneer woman," I said.  "They have chickens in their backyard, and 

grow vegetables and buy organic foods.  Her children have never eaten Pop Tarts and she makes homeade granola bars with flaxseed."

"Do you want to make homeade granola bars with flaxseed?" my very astute health coach asked.

"Not really," I replied.  "But, I feel like I should."

We went on from there to talk about how women in our society feel this incredible 

pressure to be everything to everyone.  We need to be supermoms, and superwives, and have super careers.  The resulting stress and pressure from continuously trying to achieve something that no one can possibly achieve leaves us feeling like failures, reaching for food and other coping mechanisms to absorb the pain.

"Have you ever heard Joyce Meyer's tomato story?" my health coach asked.

Apparently, Joyce Meyer wanted to be a superwife/mom too.  She started sewing her children's clothes and making things from scratch.  She grew a huge tomato garden and prayed over it that it would yield a bountiful crop.  The day came for harvesting.  She and her pioneer woman next door neighbor were going to have a harvesting/canning party.  As Joyce went out to her garden to begin the harvesting process, she found that every single one of her beautiful red tomatoes had been blighted by worms.  Quickly, she ran into the house and called her neighbor to pass on the dreadful news.  Her neighbor quickly ran to her own garden to check the precious fruit.  Lo and behold, her tomatoes were bright, red, full and worm free.  She had the perfect crop.  Needless to say, Joyce had a few strong words for God about this crop she had so carefully planted and tended too.  But God had some strong words for Joyce as well.  That day, she clearly heard God say, "I never asked you to plant tomatoes."

"You need to give yourself a break," my health coach said.  "If God's not calling you to make homeade granola bars, it's okay.  You need to figure out what kind of life God is calling you to lead and do that."

In that moment, I felt a huge weight lift from my shoulders.  For now, the Pop Tarts are okay.  Moreover, I can be okay right where I am.  Right now, I am where God wants me to be.  There's a purpose and a plan.  And, there's a vision.  I know in my heart exactly what I want to do, who I want to be.  I'm not sure yet how to get there, but I don't think I have to have that part figured out just yet.  I need to just be in the here and now. I need to rest and  be assured that God's got the greater purpose and a plan already in motion.  And while I want a door to be thrown wide open right now, I know that I can't do anything until God is ready for it to be done.  Because when I wait on God, big things can happen.  All I know for sure is that I'm not going to be growing any tomatoes!

Blessings and Peace,
Sara