Life on the Green side

This summer I am spending nine weeks in the inner city of Houston. Houston is the fourth largest city behind New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago respectively. We live in some of the sketchiest portions of the city, but right in the middle of the compound where we live and also where the mission center that I work is located, there can be found the Gano Mission Community Garden. It is somewhat out of place against the other surroundings. This summer I have been looking over the little plants as they grow. It is so exciting to see the new growth that happens everyday and when the plants perk up after a long sprinkler's drench. I know that this may be mundane to many people. I cannot take offense to such opinions because the fact of the matter is that the Lord has blessed me with this interest and passion. I love the things that I love because my Father has placed them on my heart. 

So, because of such things, I have chosen to study plants. This includes food plants, ornamental plants, and mostly any other type of plant. I have been fortunate this past few weeks to realize in a practical hands on way how my interests, knowledge and experience could be used in ministry kind of way. I had secretly been wondering how I could use that for the cause of Christ. I had known it would be a fantastic humanitarian thing to help give people the ability to put food on their table, but I wanted more. I wanted to impart Jesus Christ into their lives.  Then I realized through work in the garden here at Gano or other work opportunities around Houston that I can talk about God as we work. To that point though God can be revealed through much of creation. It is simply awesome the things that He is able to do and create every day. 

I am glad that I have been able to be around and so close to much of His creation every day. 

Sometimes I feel weird talking about what I love because it is usually much different than many people that I come into contact with. I many times feel in the minority or at the subject of stereotype. However, I am glad that God gives me increasing certainty in my abilities but I am always reminded that everything I have even my knowledge and abilities come from Him. Without God I cannot do anything.

So, through my involvement with plants and playing in the dirt on a regular basis, I have been living life on the green side.