My story with the
pumpkin patch began in October 2011 when Jeff asked if I would like to help at
Nehemiah ranch (the ranch as I now call it). He needed someone to assist with
registering and welcoming guests to the first weekend give away of “free”
pumpkins. It is a strange concept in
today’s culture to “give away” anything for “free”. As he told me about the ranch and the
outreach to youth, I became excited and signed up to help. He began sharing his vision to reach troubled
youth, restore hope and lives through sharing the love of Christ.
The first night
people came from all over the countryside. One couple drove over 50 miles to get free
pumpkins for their five children. The
parents cried as they watched their kids “squeal” with delight over picking
their own huge pumpkins from the patch.
The husband had just lost his job.
The wife was unemployed and expecting another baby. They had no money, but were grateful for the
“gift”.
I watched kids
faces light up. I watched as parents
enjoyed the evening. There was a large
fire pit blazing; the smell of burning wood and roasting hotdogs in the
air. There was a hayride and a “one of a
kind” lighted pumpkin patch. The scene
was surreal. After the first evening, I
enjoyed the event so much that I came back to register and welcome guests the
next two weekend events.
Why? What drew me? Seeing the happiness in the
eyes of the parents and children warmed my heart. It had been a difficult year for me
personally. After 13 years of marriage,
I found myself, once again, divorced.
These events offered healing to my heart. To be able to “give” away something and watch
the delight on the faces, took me away from my pain and self centeredness and
refocused my heart on Christ. Through
the pumpkins, I realized, again, the gift of salvation; the free gift Christ
gives to us. We have to “show up” and
choose to accept it.
Christ paid the
price. Christ did the work. Now it is planting season. I get to “feel the pain.” On June 30th, several volunteers
showed up to the ranch. Some set up and
ran a garage sale to raise funds. Some
went to work in the patch, to ready the field for planting. I had never planted pumpkins. As a little girl, I had worked with my mother
and grandfather in the family garden.
But, I never had planted pumpkins.
Jeff has the process down to a science.
This is the third year for the pumpkin patch. Each year, the vision and patch grows a
little.
Jeff had spent
hours plowing and disking the very hard earth.
No rain makes the ground very hard!
The process begins by measuring the rows and laying the black “special”
pumpkin paper. Then you have to bury the
sides of the paper to keep it from blowing away with a gust of wind. Next, at pre-defined intervals you place a
hole and two seeds, cover with dirt, water, and pray that God will grow the
pumpkin. At this point, I was probably
better at praying, than planting. It
seemed like every time I watered the seed would come out of the ground because
the ground was so dry. There was
absolutely no moisture.
God has reminded
me that all I am called to do is sow seeds.
Sometimes, I am to water, but He will cause it to grow. He also reminds me, as I am pulling the 50th
2 gallon can of water from the tank, that “His strength is made perfect in my
weakness.” Continually, as I walk the
rows, He whispers “you will reap a harvest if you do not give up.” I call these times “life lessons.” He is teaching me to keep the faith, trust in
Him, patience, that life is a journey and not a destination.
The past two
weeks, I have spent several hours watering and praying in the pumpkin patch,
re-planting many seeds. Each evening, I
get excited, like the little kids last fall, to see a new plant “pop” up. I am thankful. God is good.
Tonight, I was
tired. My son went with me to the ranch
to do the nightly watering. This effort
is a team effort and a “labor of love” by so many. The next door neighbor is letting us use
water from his well to give Jeff’s a rest.
One board member loaned his truck so we could fill the horse tank and
drive to the edge of the field. Some
come and fill the tank. Others come and
water in the evening. It is the way the
body of Christ is supposed to operate; a spirit of unity and community
exists. We are all united in purpose and
love; the love of Jesus.
As I was watering
the “new” section (I call it the family plot).
This is the section where people were invited to “plant their own seeds”;
grow their own pumpkin for harvest.
There are approximately 30 hills.
It takes longer to water the hills than the rows. For weeks, there has only been one hill with
plants. But, tonight, almost every hill
has a plant. As I watered, I wept. God knew just what I needed today.
The pumpkin patch
is teaching me about hope, healing, restoration, sowing, reaping and
perseverance, to name a few lessons. How
many times has God provided someone to sow a seed into my life? How many times has He had to replant the
seed? I have to have daily watering
because the seasons of life are sometimes stormy with too much wind and rain,
or vice versa and I go through seasons of drought. As the pumpkins begin to grow and vine, they
have to stay attached to the vine to grow.
We have to stay attached to Christ.
If our relationship is severed, we wither and die. Working at the patch is hard physical labor,
but it is worth every second. Walking with
Christ is also, sometimes, hard work.
But, it too, is worth every second.
I hear his voice whisper to my heart “you will reap a harvest, if you do
not give up.”
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