Beets, Borsch, and Being Ready

My mother likes to tell the story about St. Francis who was busy working in his garden when a pilgrim passing by asked, "What would you do if you knew that Jesus were to come back today?"

 

The old friar smiled and simply said, "I would go on working in my garden!"

 That story tells us two things.

1) St. Francis was ready, living in obedience. 

2) St. Francis knew that working in one's garden, however lowly and practical work it was, was just as spiritual as praying or preaching, because it was just part of a disciplined and obedient lifestyle.  

Timmy sent us pictures of being out with his cousins digging potatoes a few weeks ago. 

 

It's been a very warm October and November. Gardens kept growing way late. But we had to harvest before the frost. I picked lots of beets.Here they are!

I saved a few greens to steam and eat with butter and salt, and cooked, peeled and canned the rest.

Well, I used a few for borsch, too, our favorite soup!

We even got a few zucchini before the frost!

And Jonathan picks a couple red serrano peppers anytime he wants some zip added to his meals!

Also a small sweet pepper from our greenhouse.

And a few pumpkins which we use for decoration until Thanksgiving, and then turn into pies!

Whether gardening, cooking, digging potatoes, praying, sewing, ironing, or doing dishes,

we can live ready, like the wise friar, and simply go on doing our duty with a pure heart full of love for God and our fellow man.