A line from a song in the musical, The Fantasticks, has been going through my head a lot lately.

“Plant a radish.
Get a radish.
Never any doubt.
That’s why I love vegetables;
You know what you’re about!”

I could offer a lot of existential reasons why this song tops the playlist in my mind these days. 

Maybe, in this time of COVID, when so much of our planning needs to be done in pencil, I long for an activity that I know I can count on taking place.  No contingency plans.  No holding your breath.

Plant a radish.  Get a radish.

Or perhaps these lyrics keep repeating in my head because we have been in transition to our next senior pastor for a while and I have to keep reminding myself that congregational life doesn’t “begin” when our next pastor arrives.  Life goes on in the midst of our transitions – in the church, in our families, in our work.  Good things grow as we continue to tend the garden of our lives.

Plant a radish.  Get a radish.  Never any doubt.

But the truth is, about a month ago, I sowed some spinach seeds in my garden.  I had a wildly successful experience planting squash this spring and, for the first time, got a taste of the pride and joy of watching things grow and knowing you had a hand in it.  I was hoping lightning would strike twice.

That’s why I love vegetables; You know what you’re about!

The only problem is, I planted spinach…

… and I have no idea WHAT this is!!  If anyone can identify this plant, please let me know!

Plant a radish.  Get a radish.  Never any doubt??

I beg to differ.

By Jayne Davis Associate Pastor Discipleship