The Portion of my Inheritance

Every spring, gumps and Aria team up to plant the garden.  

Gumps has spent a lot of time preparing the soil for this much treasured time with his favorite play mate.

This is a very serious job for both gumps and Aria.

They work diligently in anticipation of the harvest that will follow.

Thoughts of fresh, red ripe tomatoes, crisp green peppers and sweet onions that can be picked and ate right out of the ground push on their efforts.

This small brigade will spend the next few months fighting the persistent weeds and the insects that will threaten their hard labor.

Every trip to mammy and gumps’ house will find Aria checking on their precious tomatoes. She carefully inspects them with expectation for some kind of growth (sometimes everyday).

There is always a little time to spare . . . 

to check on the neighbors.

or to tell secrets.

But they always finish the task at hand with time to spare for play.

In the end, they will loose the battle against the weeds, and the grasshoppers. Tiny inch worms will fill their belly’s with more of the much beloved crop that will gumps and Aria. The Texas summer heat will suck the life and moisture from the earth and the crops will whither before their eyes.

But, gumps has already started the preparations necessary for the planting of the next spring crops.

Yes, they do get to sample a few tomatoes and peppers achieved from all their efforts.

But . . . the real harvest comes from the planting in the heart.

Jesus said to them,  “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.  “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”  John 4:34-35