Stewardship Thoughts: Learning from the Zucchini

How many of us have gardens? Given our fertile land in the Skagit Valley, many of us enjoy planting seeds in the spring and seeing what comes up.  This month, many of us are starting to see the beginnings of an abundant harvest. Some of us (you know who you are) already have gardens overflowing with more produce than you can consume. Sharing the abundant harvest is a great way to learn about stewardship. 

Think of a garden full of zucchini. Every Sunday I say out loud the same words just before I pass out the offering plates: "All that we have and all that we are have been entrusted to us by God, so that we might care for all in need, so that all may have enough and no one might have too much."

Now add in the word "zucchini". "All the zucchini we have and all that we are have been entrusted to us by God that we might care for all in need, so that all may have enough zucchini and no one might have too much." 

This is good news for those of us who have so much zucchini that we will be tired of it and for people without a garden. Stewardship is seeing the zucchini as a resource that God has placed in your hands, so you keep only what you need and share the rest.   

May God bless us with as much generosity in sharing money as we have when we share the abundant harvests of our gardens.