Thankful for Tiny Tomatoes

Last year we planted cherry tomatoes in the flower garden that borders the front of the house.  This year the Lord gave me a tomato plant in much the same spot as those of last year.

The plant was beautiful and as it grew it was tied up to keep it off the ground and away from my mums.  It was such a beautiful plant that I was going to take a picture of it to send to my son and another friend or two to let them see how the Lord had blessed us.

That afternoon, the cows came.  It was funny when they were in the vegetable garden in the back because the harvest had already been done.  They were munching on the beans and tomato plants that were already dying.  The cow patties they left in the yard did not bother me because my husband goes to the pasture and brings home buckets of the stuff for the garden.

My heart sunk as they made it to the front of the house and happily decimated my irises. They made their way to my tomato plants, my decorative grass and my mums.  They left their payment in the form of huge, round, brown patties.

The only thought that came to mind was, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away."  All that was left were a few fat green sticks and a tiny branch with a few leaves.

My first thought was to just pull them up and till the soil for next season or some new mums.  I left it as it was.  I was curious to see what would happen next.  The three cows were still on the loose so any new plants could become fodder for bovine never ending appetites..

The cows were eventually corralled and life returned to normal.  It was awhile before I checked on the plants again.  There was no point. They were at the point that growth would take place even if I did not stare at them daily.  There were other things that needed to be done.

I watched the plants with interest as they all came back.  The mums grew back and bloomed.  The grasses grew back and were just as pretty as before.  The tomato plant seemed to grow faster and bigger than the other ravaged plants.

I have done little to help them grow.  They seem to be doing quite well with only the Lord's help.


The weather got cooler, but the plant continued to grow and produce tiny tomatoes.  The cooler temperatures kept them from ripening.  I put cardboard walls around the plant and covered it at night to keep it from getting frosted.  I raked up pine straw and packed it around the inner walls of the cardboard to insulate the plant.  At night I cover the whole thing with a drop cloth.  So far the weather has still been mild enough that my makeshift shelter has been enough to keep them alive and thriving.


It has been about 3 months since the cow invasion.  I checked this morning to see if there were any ripe tomatoes.  I dug around and found 4.  They are quite small.  They are, in fact, tiny, no bigger than my thumb.

They are a gift from the Lord.  One of those tiny gifts, but a gift nonetheless.  I am thankful for this small Blessing.  He has shown me that He cares enough to give me even the smallest desires of my heart.