What could be more delightful on a warm summer day than a big bowl of cool, refreshing watermelon?
Well, something you may not know about the Neely Team is that, as much as we love watermelon, I do not think we could grow them if our lives depended on it.
Growing large quantities of fresh produce has been a part of my life for almost as long as I can remember, but I do not believe we have ever been successful at growing a single watermelon. Why, I have no idea. It just doesn’t work.
This year, due to the wedding and everything else going on in our lives, planning and maintaining a garden was more than Dad and Mom could possibly think about, so I became official garden manager. Thanks to the great advice of David Stelzl, we tried a new method, one which includes using large amounts of mulch or compost material, and the Lord blessed our efforts tremendously. Not only did the mulch nourish the soil for a larger harvest in general, but it also kept the weeds down and drastically cut necessary maintenance time.
Anyway, back to watermelon.
In my new position as garden manager, armed with some most excellent watermelon seeds from a friend, I determined to try again. I started the seeds early in a green house, giving the plants a fair head start, and when the weather was right, transplanted them to a place where the soil is rich and they would receive enough sunshine.
And they grew. Slowly, but surely.
Eventually, a few small fruits appeared on the vine. I was sure that this would be the year that we would finally break loose from being first on the record of unsuccessful watermelon growers.
Then, one day last week, I heard some laughter on the back porch and someone called my name as I was working in the kitchen.
“Come quick — look at your watermelon!”
Apparently, the vine had been accidently cut in the previous week’s mowing, and there, surrounded by a dead vine, was my long awaited fruit. (See the picture above.) Beautiful! See the lovely striping, the lush green tones?
I died laughing.
My adorable little watermelon was… just that. Adorable.
Nothing like the giant, impressive 30-40 pounder it descended from.
Well, I guess all I can say that we still have not broken loose from our history of unsuccessful watermelon-ness. However, this whole escapade calls to mind a quote I heard earlier in the year at a home education convention we attended.
“Courage doesn’t always roar – sometimes, it is the quiet voice that, at the end of the day, whispers,
‘I’ll try again tomorrow.’”
And that is just what we will have to do – try again.
What was, to us, a hilarious family memory, also served to remind me that failure, no matter how it may cause us to feel, must not be the end to those of us who are in Christ. He is our hope; He is our reason, and our strength, for rising from bed each morning and determining to try again. We, chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, have been promised victory.
No matter what you are facing today, whether it something as simple as a watermelon, or instead a struggle that causes deep and lasting pain, look unto Jesus Christ, Who has already won the victory, and try again.
WOW!!! We are not the only ones who can not grow watermelons! But hey, ” If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”
Though I must say…we do not always try, try again.
I am glad we are not the only ones who can not grow watermelons.
I forgot to say, we lose our watermelons to our wonderful, hungry colony of ants that multiply times 5 every year. We are pretty generous to give all our melons away..huh?
Blessings in Him,
Elise Meggs
They say the more time you spend around your friends, the more you become like them. I don’t know about that, but I do know that WE CANNOT GROW WATERMELONS!!!
NO MATTER WHAT. seriously.
Well, in regards to trying again, maybe I better go out to the garden. Who knows?
That’s fun, Kathryn! That reminds me of a fun watermelon tale my family has to tell…
As a side note, I was listening to some of your music recently and was thinking that you guys should record another CD…sometime. :)I think you all would do a great job on CD #4, if it would be in God’s plan…I just thought I should say. My family really enjoys Neely Team music. Yep, yep, we do! 🙂
I have been reading for a bit, but I have never commented until now. I am sorry, but this is a bit funny, and that watermelon is too cute. When my dad fell on the job when I was in high school, we grew about 80 acres in watermelons and cantaloupe to help make ends meet. We suppied most of the grocery stores in Oklahoma City and the small town close to us along with the local farmers’ market twice weekly with homegrown Jubilee and Black Diamond watermelons. I have been working in the garden or on a farm since I was born and can relate to more than my share of “try, try again” mishaps. I think it is the nature of farming. It sounds like you succeeded very well in growing the melons, but whoever did the mowing might need someone to walk along side of them to watch for baby watermelons!!
Keep trying, Hon!!
That lil’ watermelon is sooo cute… but the person holding it is 100x more adorable. I love that you could laugh at what could be thought of as a great disappointment.
Thank you for sharing your smile!
This is too cute Kathryn, and so are you. 🙂
I love, love, love the way you think. You can take hilarious moments, trials, or simple everyday moments and see something that the Lord is teaching you through it. This is beautiful, Kathryn, and something that I need to learn more of. Thank you for allowing God to work through you to bless others. The light and joy of Christ shine brightly through your life, and I am grateful to know you, no matter how little it may be. I am grateful that we will have all eternity to fellowship together. May the Lord bless you richly, my dear sister.
I was all set to be impressed. I looked at that gorgeous watermelon at the top of the post, and I wondered, “The title says ‘try again.’ So either they didn’t grow that one… or this IS the “again” try, and it finally succeeded… or……??” As I read the post, I grew a bit confused, until suddenly I reached the second picture….. and I died laughing as well!!! I laughed until tears filled my eyes and threatened to spill down my cheeks. Then M. came in and I shared the post with him, and we both laughed, and tears DID run down my cheeks.
So the watermelons didn’t succeed this year, either. How classic. But how hilarious. And what a great spiritual analogy. Thank you for sharing. This was a highlight of my day. 😀
An “adorable little watermelon” is still a watermelon. Maybe not exactly what you expected, but at least it’s a watermelon and you’re on the right track! 🙂
Wow, that is really funny! What kind is it? My grandparents have grown yellow watermelons before in their garden. Granny said they’re pretty good. Like yours, they didn’t grow for a couple of years.
This is really cute! 🙂
Cute! 🙂 Did you cut into the watermelon to see what it looked like on the inside? We have tried growing watermelons before, too. They never got very big… but one year even though they were quite small they actually tasted pretty good.
Oh, Kathryn! I’m sorry! This reminds me of the time we tried to grow watermelons and got cantaloupes instead! Let me say that they grow fast and we had more then we could take! All because Daddy found a seed on the ground that he thought was a watermelon!
Good job! Patience pays off.