Heirloom or Hybrid?

Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come. Psalm 71:18

　

This morning I went out to the garden, which needed my attention, even if the temperature was already 91 degrees! I picked cucumbers, squash and peppers and then looked longingly at the tomatoes! Nope, not yet! For several years now we have planted “Heirloom” tomatoes which are harvested later than the hybrid varieties but they are well worth the wait! According to the dictionary an “heirloom” is something of value passed down to ones heirs. Sometimes it is passed down for many generations. That is how these tomatoes got their name because some of these varieties have been passed down for many generations. Hybrids on the other hand will not be passed on, in the same way because they do not reproduce. Actually, because of this, there is a seed bank somewhere (it's a secret) that keeps these seeds “safe”. One of my favorite heirloom tomatoes is the “Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter”! Radiator Charlie’s real name was Marshall Cletis Byles and he was quite a character. The story is told that he produced this special tomato, and was able to sell the seedlings for a dollar each and made enough money to pay off his mortgage. He passed these seeds down to the next generations who still sell and profit from these seeds.

In my devotional today, the question was asked “what do you fear the most?”. I’m sure my answers were much like anyone asked that question but the one that stands out in my memory today is “I have a fear of not sowing enough seeds that I can pass on to my heirs”. I ask myself, "did I use every opportunity to tell them about my Lord?" Did they see God in my life? As good as being a “hybrid” sounds, I do not want to be like one who does not reproduce what I have learned by living and walking with God. When years have gone by and someone picks up an old, dusty, and faded picture of me, I want them to think of me as one who passed down the seeds of the "good news" to those who came after me. My prayer is that generations to come will profit from the seeds that I have sown and give God the glory for his goodness! I want there to be generations of “Nihisers” who love and serve the Lord until He comes and gathers us up as a true precious heirloom!