Lessons in Pumpkins and Prayer

I'm really loving having our BIG vegie patch this year... BIG for us anyway... I know others with 5-10 times what we have.... but at about 30 square metres, we're about 5 times bigger than we were last year, so that counts as BIG to me.

Soon after Pete dug over the garden bed and removed most of the weeds and over grown grass (I say most because it's almost impossible to remove it all and those little bits left in do keep multiplying - one must be diligent!)

Lesson 1: Very similar to sin in our lives wouldn't you say?

so, soon after he prepared it for planting, we (I) noticed some self sown seedlings. From my limited knowledge, I called them cucumbers.
Within a few weeks I could see they were too big to be cucumber leaves and figured out they were instead self sown pumpkin plants.

Lesson 2: We don't know all we think we know... be prepared to learn more and adjust one's convictions

At the other end of the garden, I had (while the cucumber thinking was happening) planted some pumpkin seeds and after 4 weeks of nothing from them, I was sure it was a failure... though another couple of weeks later we did have emerging seedlings

Lesson 3: Patience

A couple of months ago, the pumpkins that were self sown were a disappointment. Seeming to be all male flowers...males can't have babies, pumpkins or otherwise (no lesson here, I know a little about reproduction LOL)

The pumpkins that we planted at the other end were flourishing. Well, their leaves were. Only 2 were fertilised and growing into full size pumpkins. The other females were having no success as the males were always flowering at the wrong time for the bees to take their pollen and fertilise the females... and so no more pumpkins growing. 8 weeks or more of  'still nothing'

Well early last week I decided to pray over the pumpkin patch - very simply I prayed 'Lord bless this pumpkin patch with abundance. Provide us with enough to eat, enough to give away and enough to preserve' (for the winter).

What can I say... a week later we have more than 7 fertilised pumpkins, and quite possibly many more on the way by the looks of things - you can be sure about 4-5 days after possible fertilisation that they'll grow to adulthood or not. And now I say "The Lord provides".

Lesson 4: Seek Him first and He WILL add everything else!

Since then God's said to expect more than 20 all up. And that those given away are to be passed to others, for them to pass along - given to those willing to share the story of Gods provision as they pass along the pumpkin. Our sole purpose in existing is after all 'for His glory'.

Pumpkin patch from seed. Pumpkin #1 is to the right of the centre and just behind the bright flower - hard to see but is rather large, guessing about 2kg at the moment. #2 is bottom centre, smaller - probably about 1.5kg. Both are not far of being ready.

Fertilised pumpkin in the seeded patch - this is about 12cm long at the moment

Fertilised pumpkin in the self sown (from supermarket pumpkin scraps) - quite different shaped pumpkins in this patch but still butternut!! This one is about 10cm long at the moment.