“Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: ‘He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.’” (2 Corinthians 8:13-15).
I saw it this morning. Right in the place where I’ve been seeing it all summer long. A bag filled with a garden’s growing. A gracious plenty offered to me and my family by a retired couple who understand God’s principle of surplus as outlined in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.
I don’t know this couple well. They have only recently moved here, but in the time since their arrival, we’ve managed a few chats amidst my morning runs and have discovered a mutual love for God and for garden produce. They’ve instructed me that the hanging bags on the mailbox are meant for my retrieval. Gladly I receive, and today was no different.
It got me to thinking. To pondering about a heart that gives from the overflow of a garden. A luscious plenty that’s been soiled and seeded, tilled and tended to with a harvest in mind. Rather than hoard and shelve their produce, my new friends have decided to share the wealth of their garden’s growing.
I like that. I like the surprise of seeing my bag hanging on their mailbox and of knowing that I’ve been thought about with the picking.
It’s the way of an abundant heart. Of growing a surplus and then out of that overflow, sharing the extra with others in need. And while there are other, perhaps more pressing needs in my own life, I am tendered and touched by the hearts of people who understand that giving always yields a return. If not immediate, then somewhere down the road.
As I examine my own life, I look for the plenty. For the extra measure of a garden’s growth that could be shared with others. What about you? Where does your plenty lie this day?
Look at your hands, your heart, your giftings, and your wallet. Examine them under the light of Calvary’s grace and with the measure of God’s goodness and tell me, where is your plenty?
Plenty. Perisseuma in the Greek meaning “to abound; surplus; abundance in which one delights; that which fills the heart; that which is leftover; remains; residue.”[i]
We all have an existing plenty. Regardless of our outpouring—whether financially, physically, spiritually, emotionally—there exists a surplus somewhere within. A plenty that is meant to be shared for the benefit and for the building up of the body. We don’t often feel this to be the case, for we are a busy and tired people with an output level that leaves us saddled with our weary.
So often, we crawl to our beds and pray for the strength to walk another day, giving little attention to any needs other than the ones that frame our flesh. Left unattended and unnoticed, our needs become our blinding, and our plenty is shelved and buried beneath the weight of an inward focus.
It’s the way of selfish heart—a perfected “taking” that harbors the lie that we have nothing left in our reserves to offer. No surplus or residue thereof for the sharing. No bags to hang on the mailbox. No garden’s growth and thus, no produce to feed my neighbors.
It’s been the way of my heart lately, and it’s not healthy. And while God allows me my tired and weary with a depth of understanding and healing that only he can offer, he expects me to keep an outward focus…even during my times of refueling.
My resources may be limited on all fronts, but there is still some surplus in reserves. His name is Jesus, and he is my overflow. The residue of his abiding presence can be seen, felt, and tasted through this heart of mine. My plenty may shape different than yours, but its seeding comes through the same grace. The Someone we each hold far outweighs the temporal offering of our hands.
We can give our neighbors Jesus, even when we feel that we’ve little to offer. We do so through our words, our simple acts of kindness, our attitudes, our compassion, our prayers, and through our hanging out of all manner of a sacred garden’s produce that is meant for the taking and for the closer examination of a God’s eternal plenty.
You, my friends, are so faithful to hang out that bag for me everyday. You may feel that your garden harvests lean and sparse, but as I travel through this journey in cyberspace, I’ve come to count on finding your “bags” of blessing hanging out on your mailbox throughout the week. Indeed, our blogs all package differently, but this is the beauty of God’s garden. He seeds our soil with uniqueness, yet with a fullness that weaves a sacred and perfected masterpiece.
Your plenty often fills my need with the overflow of a Father’s love. I am eternally grateful for our yoking alongside one another. You’ve fed me with the bread of heaven, and I feel so privileged to share this road with you. All this to say…
Keep to it. Keep tending to your garden and keep packaging up God’s blessings to pass on to those who are dropping by for a taste. I know it’s not always easy. Even today, I painfully struggle to write a complete thought. But God’s love compels me to do so, for perhaps somewhere in the doing, my meager surplus might be enough to equal your hungering need. Like my neighbors, I hang Jesus out for the entire world to see. And He, my friends, is the gracious plenty who is more than enough to garden a world’s hunger with the finest bread of heaven.
Let it be so for each one of us today. May the eternal seeding of the Eternal One harvest rich and plentiful in and through your heart this very night. From this mailbox to yours, I’m so glad that you took the time to stop by for a visit. You have been purposefully thought about with this “picking.”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the abiding and breathing Holy Spirit, Amen.
So, how is your garden growing? What’s hanging on your mailbox today? I’d love to come by for a taste. Shalom.
Copyright © August 2008 – Elaine Olsen. All rights reserved.
[i] Spiros Zodiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 1994), 1150.
What a beautiful post! My children and I picked corn, green beans, okra, and tomatoes from my in-laws’ garden this weekend, and we are still enjoying are gift from their plenty!
I love the analogy of our plenty being our expressions of our faith through blogging! Thirstin’ for the Word Thursday is up at my blog, and a few women have posted from their surplus. Stop by!
Wow! I’m in tears. I love your reflections today. Thank you for sharing.
How sweet. It's so like the America of my youth, when neighbors often shared garden goodies and other items. My own family grew raspberries, beans, carrots, peas, green apples and tomatoes. What mother didn't can (an art that's all but died out), she passed onto others.
I don't have a garden, but my kitchen is often the gathering place for this group or that almost every week. I love preparing meals and goodies, and lingering long over the dessert & coffee to talk away hours on end.
Funny what becomes "plenty" when it's salted with love (or bagged for a mailbox).
Kathleen
I’m so grateful that you are tending this garden, friend. Your words feed me and nourish my soul. Thank you so much for sharing the abundance of the harvest!
As you already know, I am a visual learner, so I love the visual of the “plenty” at the mailbox.
You have given me a completely new view of blogging. I never thought about it in that way before.
I have been feeling “blogged out” the last few days, so I really loved these encouraging words of yours:
“Keep to it. Keep tending to your garden and keep packaging up God’s blessings to pass on to those who are dropping by for a taste. I know it’s not always easy.”
You have such a way with words and a lovely perspective.
Thank you for being faithful with your “plenty” today.
God Bless,
Amy:)
Oh friend…don’t you know that with each click of your keyboard you are providing me with veritable bushels of plenty? Well, you ARE! Keep tending that beautiful garden, even during seasons of drought. Your persistence will surely reap a great harvest.
And, it’s next weekend that I head to Texas – and your face in the Siesta crowd will be sorely missed!
Love to you this night,
Melinda
Selfishly feeling like I have nothing left to hang on your mailbox tonight. “Plenty” seems like a foreign word…yet…I know God is able and when we are weak He is strong. So I open my bag before Him and ask for a filling that I may continue to minister to those around me – not just my family concerns, but an overflow and harvest to bless others.
Thank you for sharing your plenty and blessing my life.
Love you,
Joy
Dearest sister elaine… I was thinking about you earlier today… thinking about your gift of exhortation. Is it possible to actually be providing a surplus to others when we don’t even realize we are doing it? Because you are. You know I love these garden analogies. Isn’t God so good?
Thank you for the encouragement… this is exactly where I am.
I treasure you!
Let’s get ready to reap!
After my Dad retired, they moved to the country and started a small farm with multiple fruit trees, all kinds of veggies, and last but not least a row of cotton and a row of peanuts!
My Daddy wanted the local kids to understand their “roots” of what had built up their part of the world, and it was peanuts and cotton. Kids from the local schools would often stop by and pick a little of each to use at show’n’tell at school.
Daddy would often take bags of “extra” anything and leave on shutins’ doorsteps and I know they appreciated it.
When my Daddy died, one of his “kids in the community” that had stopped by several times over the years, actually had some of his cotton and she put it in a “greenery” spray that stood by his cofin…i will never forget that as long as I live…she was remembering him in the love that he showed for his “roots”.
PFTJ…you are definitely sharing a bagful with us each time you blog…there is so much peace that radiates from your words and I believe it brings comfort to all who read it. And most importantly you give all the Glory to the One who planted it in the first place.
“It’s all about sharing with others in need…period.”
And you, my dear, are sharing in oh so many ways!
Colossians 2:6-7 “You received Christ Jesus as Lord. So keep on living in him. Have your roots in Him. Build yourselves up in Him. Grow strong in what you believe, just as you were taught. Be more thankful than ever before.”
I too have been contemplating abundance lately, and seeing it in unexpected places through our gracious God. Thank you for putting this to words, from a fellow pastor’s wife!
wifeforthejourney:
Thanks for your faithfulness to encourage us out of the abundance God has given you to share! It is a blessing to receive….
Lord help me to know my own abundances and to receive from You!
Billy
Oh, sweet friend! What a wonderful post! Yours make me think about things in such a new light! I love visiting your blog!
How is my garden growing?? The actual one with ONE tomato plant and ONE zucchini plant look a little sad! My sons don’t always water them as thoroughly as the plants need it. And the drought doesn’t help! So, no juicy red tomatoes–yet–still 4 little green ones and only 2 little flowers on the zucchini! Luckily, our neighbors share their produce as well!
My spiritual garden is a little different at this time. Lots of water and fertilizer have been applied in anticipation of a fruitful harvest!! ( I’m reading the Word and praying to see God’s awesome plan!) It’s not always this way, but for now, the tomatoes are just about ripe for thi pickin’!! Happy Friday!
Love ya,
Susan
Absolutely wonderful post! Your posts always speak to me. I am so grateful for you!
Wow, Elaine…thank you for persevering and for sharing of your rich eternal harvest with us. Sorry I have no ‘harvest’ to share right now….simply because of other priorities right now…my harvest right now is in being able to do stuff that was pending for awhile and which had me overwhelmed…that is how I know yesterday I was prayed for…such a wonderful thing to see ‘accomplishment’…thank you, Elaine, for making me see ‘blogging’ in a whole new light and to think that you could even be blessed by my ‘hanging fruit’ is humbling…
I do love you, my American sister…
Sita
Hi Elaine!
I can’t wait to start Anonymous! Thank you, thank you!!
And your blog today just amazed me…
Hugs!
you are sooooo amazing… what an awesome post…
and what a great analogy…
Yes, the Father’s Garden is plentiful…
always– was, is and will be
thank you for sharing
great post! I have been reading Ruth lately and this post brought my thoughts there again…the whole idea of sharing our harvest…you never know how it will impact those who give or those who recieve. Boaz shared his harvest with his would-be wife and she recieved graciously. The plan of God put into motion. beautiful. Thanks for sharing your tomatoes today!! 🙂
Wow..I just love reading your words that God lays on your heart. I am a giver, even when I don’t have anything to give. It feels so good. What do I have plenty of? GRACE. I do hope my life reflrects this back on others. what a lot to think about here…it’s humbling infact. I have so much work to do in my garden…
In His Graces~Pamela
God has truly brought a harvest of plenty in my life this past year. My family has grown so much. And I have been blessed with an abundance of new friends (face to face ones and cyberspace ones). I feel very blessed. And now that I’ve read your blog I am challenged to find ways to share my harvest with others.
I followed a whole new trail of blogs today, and kept seeing your comments. I knew I had to come visit and see this encourager in action. Thank you for being a blessing.
Though you may have, as you said, struggled for the words to pen today, you have given me some of your ‘plenty’ to mull over! You always do! I so often feel I am on the receiving end of things and really need to be more aware of places where I can be the giver.
Keep up the good work friend!
Marilyn in Mississippi
Thank you from sharing from your surplus in this post Elaine!
I’ve been in a season of feeling that there’s not much in my garden to share. I’ve realized just recently though that I do have an abundance of Jesus that is lacking in much of my surrounding “neighborhood;” even in the places where I’d expect to see a plentiful harvest. In comparison, I don’t have much of what others hope to find “hanging from their mailboxes,” but maybe what they’re looking for isn’t the nourishment they actually need!
Elaine,
Beautifully expressed!
“The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever.
In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.” (Psalm 37:18-19)
A couple of weeks ago, I also received a friend’s gift of homegrown tomatoes, which inspired this post: http://purewells.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html
I found your site through Shane at “Heart Reflections”. You’re featured on her blog today!
Blessings and Love in Christ,
Kathryn
Wow Elaine. I am so glad I stopped here today. The Lord has been dealing with me regarding selfishness. I hope you don’t mind but I copied your quote about seflishness and how it’s a “taking” and the lie that really started it all. It really spoke to my heart. The Lord is working through you. Thank you for being a willing vessle for Him.
Blessing my new friend,
Nicole
This is wonderful, Elaine, and a lesson this “tired” lady truly needs to take to heart. Jesus is, in fact, the greatest surplus we ALL have.
Thank you, Elaine, for the beautiful reminder that when we have Jesus, we have PLENTY to share. What motivation to start passing it out!
What timing that I would read this posting today. A group of us went into downtown Phoenix today to pass out cold bottles of water to the homeless. (Water is definitely a necessity in 100+ degree temperatures!) We passed out almost 300 bottles of water in less than an hour. It was a good reminder of the “plenty” God have given to me and how blessed I am.
Thanks once again Elaine!!
Those tomatoes you left out for us were delicious.
What an awesome analogy of abundance.
“I myself have gained much joy and comfort from your love, my (sister) brother, because your kindness has so often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.” (Philemon 1:7 NLT).
I’ll pass this on♥
PS Chapter 6…on my!!! I will enjoy each course now, while it’s HOT!!