the pastor said
first fruits
yesterday
and the gardener in me
fine-tuned her listening ears
the israelites sacrificed the
first of their gardens and fields
as a thank offering
every year
me? i'm checking my cantaloupe
every few minutes
anticipating that first juicy bite
no way am i going to offer
that to someone else
this resistance to sacrifice
illuminates my greedy heart....
now i know that since i'm not following
the festival calendar laid out in leviticus
i'm not compelled to lay my tomatoes or cantaloupe
on an altar
but what are my first fruits?
what does god desire of me?
the psalmist writes in number 51,
for you will not delight in sacrifice,
or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering
(or a cantaloupe)
the sacrifices of God are
a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
o God, you will not despise
he doesn't want my habaneros or cantaloupe
he wants
me
how about you? what are you holding back?
continuing to count his gifts to 1000-
706. canning tomatoes
707. watching cantaloupe grow
708. a week with my sisters and brothers and parents and nieces and nephews
709. my girl, the one i mentor,
she gets a week at the beach now!
710. my husband, the one i love to the moon and back 1 million times
711. the sons, their laughter
712. lizard poop on my floor (it isn't
snake poop)
linking with -
michelle for
hear it monday, use it on sunday, ann for
1000 gifts, l.l. for
on, in, and around mondays
