A Message from Ellen
November 6, 2019
Dear Friends,
I remember back when the Kid’s Garden volunteers grew potatoes in potato bins in our church garden, and they timed the harvest so that the potatoes would be ready when we held Vacation Bible School. The children went out into the heat and were given little gloves to wear. Then, they watched while the adult volunteers pulled the slats off of the potato bins. The children were not certain what was going to happen and looked apprehensive. When the adults told them to dig, I think they thought it was a joke. But, once someone actually unearthed a potato, it was like a lightbulb went off in their heads. The treasure hunt was on! And afterwards, as they compared their potato piles it was a true moment of insight. They knew French fries and mashed potatoes, but the connection of those beloved foods with the dirt God made had been lost on them until that moment.
I pray that you and I never know food insecurity. But even more than that, I pray that we never take the food we have for granted or forget that every single bite is a gift from a good and loving God. We can plant the potato starts, but nothing we do can make them grow. Not a one of us causes the decomposition that creates rich, fertile earth. Not a one of us can make it rain, and every gardener knows that irrigation is only what we do until God makes it rain!! If you are short on miracles in your life, consider volunteering in our Kid’s Garden. Email Xan Skinner (peacewrkr@gmail.com ).
And/Or, you also have the privilege of participating in the miracle of sharing what God provides with hungry people in our own community this weekend! If you haven’t already gone to the church’s website (flpc.org/happenings/events/) to volunteer to help with the Potato Drop this weekend (November 9th from 9-1), I hope you will consider it! The potatoes were planted by farmers in NC, grown by God and harvested by volunteers. They will be dropped off in our parking lot where we can put all 40,000 pounds of them in separate 10 pound bags so that they can be used by food banks, pantries and non-profit feeding ministries in Richland and Lexington counties. We cannot take food for granted, and volunteering to get food to hungry people seems to me to be a NO-BRAINER for those who love God and who are working on loving their neighbors. In a world of bad news, choose to be a person of good news this weekend. I’ll be at the sign-in table, and I hope to see you there!
Peace and potatoes!
Ellen Fowler Skidmore
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