Photo ©2025 by Russell Jurgensen
Thursday, December 11, 2025
Two years ago I had a little success with planting herbs in an unused wheelbarrow. I recall carefully watering them every day, and moving them under cover during rainstorms. It yielded cups and cups of basil and cilantro.
This last summer I tried planting finger sized carrots along with basil and cilantro. But things turned out differently. I was traveling and only tended the tiny garden occasionally. The basil and cilantro just stopped growing after reaching about six inches tall. The carrot tops popped out but then seemed to shrink back down. I finally remembered to harvest the carrots recently and the picture shows the entire crop.
They were supposed to be small carrots but these are tiny, as you can see them next to a teaspoon, not a soup spoon. This made me think of the following verse.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5
The carrots seem to illustrate the concept that apart from God we can do nothing. I’m sure that peeling these carrots would leave nothing.
Let’s resolve to stay close to Jesus so that we can be fruitful instead of tiny and dried up.