We Should Have Read The Package 8/16/2020

Good Morning,

The sun is pouring down on our property this morning. It is shining on the apple trees giving me a view of the fruit laden trees. In about three weeks we will start the apple harvest. I foresee some juicy pies coming from the oven, partnered with a hot cup of Door County Caramel Apple Coffee.

Last fall my wife Rene and I were given several packages of seeds from a friend at church. She explained that someone had dropped off a bunch of seed packets at church and she knew we liked to garden.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary , the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking out who he can devour and destroy.

In March Rene began the process of planting the seeds in trays. Onions, tomatoes, and squash were the vegetables chosen to be transplanted later in the spring to the garden. They all took off in the warmth of the sun coming through our window until they could make it to the garden. They flourished normally and we have been eating some of the fruits of her labor. We are getting ready to start putting up salsa, pasta sauce and spaghetti squash for the winter.

I want to talk today about the Marigolds. Rene likes to have an overstuffed garden of color. Within the seed packet gift were some marigold seeds. Rene planted them just the same way she did with the vegetables. They soon took off and outgrew their spring compartments,. She replanted them into bigger pots. It was too early for the garden at this time because of frost fears.

Once it was time to replant them into the garden they were already almost a foot tall with no sign of budding anywhere. They looked like huge marijuana plants. We began to think that someone pulled a joke on the church or something like that. I asked Rene if she had saved any seeds so I might be able to read the package. These things grew like crazy.  She hadn't saved any of the seeds for next year and had thrown the packages away. We were just about ready to pull them out, when Rene came in from watering and said that she saw flower buds forming and now she was in for the long haul just to see what we ended up with.

Well I am happy to say that we didn't end up with marijuana plants, but we ended up with giant marigolds that just took over the garden. A few nights ago we tied them up so that the rest of the flowers had a chance to see some sunshine.

My point is this. We should have read the description on the packages. We didn't. It turned out OK and the marigolds are something to see. The lesson should be applied to our homes. Be careful of what you try in life. Somethings can get out of hand quickly and consume most of your time, resources and begin to choke the life out of your family. For instance when a hobby grows into a an obsession. When the experience of gambling becomes addictive and you are throwing away money that you need elsewhere.  Before starting something look at how it is packaged and ask yourself if this is worth losing a family for. Recognize when it is time to cut back or trim the amount of time and money you are spending on the choice you made. Before the attractive package chokes the life out of your family remove it, trim it down or tie it up a little. If those marigolds had been something bad for the garden they would have been pulled out.

So I rambled a little today. Your life is your garden. Read the packages of what you are planting in the one and only life you get before you plant. You might not like the harvest of consequences.

Marty