30TH OCTOBER

THE GARDEN

“The righteous flourish like the palm tree and

grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”

(Psalms 92:12)

Each and every part of the palm tree is said to be useful. Nothing is wasted. The fruits are tasty and are eaten. They are also used for soups and cereals, as well as in making the African palm oil for cooking and for medicinal purposes. The oils from the seeds are used for making soaps, cosmetics, margarine and animal feed. The leaves are used to make baskets and local canopies for protection from the sunlight. The kernels and woody stems are used as solid fuels.

In Biafra (1967-1970), like the palm tree, nothing was wasted. We planted our garden of vegetables with seeds and vegetable stalks. We planted tomatoes – including the variety called “snake tomatoes” – and peppers, by pressing out the seeds before use. We planted cassava from the stalks, as well as fruits, beans and corn. “Heads” of yams eaten were also planted.

Every space around our small bungalow and surrounding pieces of land had plants. We practised crop rotation to increase productivity and replenish soil nutrients. We manufactured our own anti-malaria mixtures from dogonyaro leaves and lemon grass, either for inhalation or/and drinking. We made our own black soaps from the ashes of the palm; and our body creams were oils from palm kernel and coconuts.  We made garri from cassava, and we produced our own lanterns for light in the nights from used cans. We even began to experiment cooking and eating pawpaw leaves.

Having been told that cassava leaves were highly toxic, we were in the process of learning how to make cassava leaves suitable for consumption, when the Lord intervened and the war ended. Every crop in our garden flourished.

Christians are able to flourish if we allow our Gardner, our Father God, to plant, transplant our seedlings and nurture our character like crops in the garden.

ACTION: Yield yourself fully to the Lord so that your potentials can be fully discovered, developed and maximised.

PRAYER: I yield myself to you, my Father; please make me an all-round fruitful vine.