It was early in the gardening season and my tomato plant was doing quite well. It was blooming, budding, and new tomatoes were form on it. I was pleased.
But then something bad happened. I broke a main branch on the plant. It was really bad. The flourishing branch was barely connected to the main trunk by just a few strands of fibers.
I felt horrible about it. I tried propping it up, band-aiding it, and doing whatever I could to keep it together. But no matter how hard I tried, it was clear that it was broken and there wasn’t much hope for it.
The “scientific” advice from the experts was to just remove the branch. After all, the broken branch should just be cut away to reduce the strain on the rest of the plant. I was warned that if I left it barely hanging on like that, it would not survive and it would just create more problems for the rest of the plant.
But, I didn’t have the heart to finish breaking off the branch. After all, I had seen too much brokenness, loss, and pain in my own life recently. I had closed too many coffins, wiped too many tears, and faced too many days with a broken heart.
As simple as it seemed, I couldn’t face another broken moment. I just couldn’t finish breaking off the branch of my tomato plant. I figured I would just remove the branch when it was withered and dried up.
So I left it.
Over the following weeks I closely monitored and nurtured my broken tomato plant, and was amazed at what transpired. The broken branch did not wither and die as others had expected, or even how I had anticipated. The leaves stayed green. Then to my sheer surprise and amazement, it continued to blossom. It continued to produce new blooms and more fruit. The tomatoes ripened on it. And the fruit it produced was, and continues to be, delicious.
Now I’m almost at the end of the growing season. The branch is still barely holding on, but amazingly it has thrived in spite of its brokenness. The entire plant has produced the most flavorful tomatoes imaginable.
As I’ve watched it thrive against all odds, I’ve been repeatedly reminded of the scripture verse:
“A broken reed He will not break [off] And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish [He will not harm those who are weak and suffering]; He will faithfully bring forth justice.” (Isaiah 42:3)
God, help me, even in my broken state, to blossom and produce for you.
Beautiful In Time 