My First Tomato

As I've probably noted previously, we're growing a garden in our friends' yard. To make a long story short, this kind of sharecropping was necessary in our apartment dwelling life. It has been, mostly, a lovely experience. Both families labor and split the costs of the endeavor and share equally in the spoils.

I've spent a little more time in the garden this week with our friends and the rest of the Puentes all out of town. Our tomato plants are starting to fruit and what a terrific variety of colors and shapes we've got going. I harvested a handful of the first fruits yesterday. I didn't think much of it until I got home, but decided to make a simple Caprese salad (tomatoes, mozarella and basil, lightly dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper). It was indescribably good, better than any salad I've had at fine restaurants. It is just one of the many transcendent experiences I've had in that garden over the last few months.

Not to complain about this modern world of ours, with so many blessings and benefits, but I feel sad that so few have the experience of a garden. Of the miracle of watching things grow and of tasting of the direct fruits of our labor. For me, a garden is a real testimony builder. I thought I'd see if anyone else out there felt the same. A google search for "god" and "tomato" yielded this result:

“Behold, the lowly tomato, token of God’s goodness, sign of his love and favor!” And thus our kids were introduced verbally to this dazzling, created order.

They were introduced much earlier with catechism questions:

Q. Who made you?
A. God made me.

Q. What else did God make?
A. God made all things.

Q. Why did God make you and all things?
A. For his own glory.

But, “Behold, the lowly tomato” was tangible, it was red, and juicy and sweet. And I hope they’ll always remember the tomato, token of God’s love and goodness. http://beholdthelowlytomato.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/why-the-lowly-tomato/

I couldn't have put it better my self.