I was walking through the Mission Garden this morning (52 raised beds of assorted plants that produce 12 to 14 thousand pounds of produce to feed the Grants Pass community). There are different plants that are in various stages, some are already producing, like yellow squash and zucchini. While others like melons are not quite ready for harvest because we want them nice and big.
They all need varying amounts of water and sunlight for optimal growth, some are big plants, some are small, depending on what they are growing. There are flowering plants and creeping vine style plants, and don’t even get me started on the weeds that steal, kill, and destroy the good produce. I am not a farmer in any way, so for me it is all a bit overwhelming. So many individual needs and care must happen to continue to make the Mission Garden one of the biggest producers per square foot in southern Oregon.
I came back into the Mission and the garden mindset was still with me. I walked by one resident and thought, man they really need a job, another one needs to apply for disability, a third just needs to grow in their relationship with the Lord to overcome the weeds of anger, anxieties or addictions. I start to understand why our heavenly Father and his Son Jesus used the analogy of planting, gardening, and harvesting for men and women all throughout the Bible. Just as the individual plants and raised beds have their individual needs and challenges, it is no different with the homeless population here at the Mission. They have different needs, and different hang-ups that can prevent them from blooming if not taken care of properly.
The harvest is ripe, growth is happening, pruning and weeding is happening-to plants and to people here at the Gospel Rescue Mission. I will leave you with this verse from 1 Corinthians 3:6 & 7, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow.” We serve a good God who is daily bringing growth to plants and people over here on Foundry Street. It’s exciting to be a small part of the process! Visit our website for videos and testimonials of the growth and change. It is awesome!
Sincerely,
Bobby Galli, Men’s Coordinator/Head Pruner