One morning recently, I heard a soft knock on our front door. And there was our neighbour, holding something out to me.
‘I wanted you to have these’ she explained. ‘They’re my “first fruits”—and I like the whole idea of that!’
I glanced down and saw around eight green beans in her hand. Not only does this lady produce a beautiful array of flowers around her unit but also a few vegetables, herbs and even some fruit. Her garden gives her much joy—a joy she was now sharing with us. And because I know my neighbour is very grateful to God for all she has and can still do, I understood her gift was a thanksgiving offering as well.
While those fresh, crunchy beans did not last long in our house, my neighbour’s words stayed with me, causing me to reflect on the whole idea of ‘first fruits’ and research it for myself. And as I did, I discovered that the concept stems from the belief that everything we have originates from God, the Creator of the universe. After all, Psalm 24:1-2 says:
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it, for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
Then, in Deuteronomy 26 in the Old Testament, we find Moses reminding God’s people, as they were at last about to enter the Promised Land, to be sure to give God the first fruits from all their future crops. They were to bring these to the priest on duty, declare out loud how God had delivered them and their forefathers from slavery in Egypt and brought them to a land ‘flowing with milk and honey’ (9), and place their offering before the Lord. Finally, we read in verse 11:
And you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.
So today, deliberately giving up those first fruits of our earthly endeavours, whether things we grow or other items we produce or money we earn, may still well be a great way of thanking God for all we have received. We may not present them to a priest, as in Old Testament times, although some churches still have a harvest festival which incorporates this idea. But as my neighbour did, perhaps we too can express our thanks to God and our joy in all we have been given, by passing on our own unique version of first fruits, thus blessing someone else as well.
Hmm—now that’s a challenge for me! Yes, I do give away a few copies of any new book I write when they first arrive fresh from the printer. But I also tend to cling onto what is mine because, after all, I worked jolly hard to produce it or earn it! Yet I know in my heart any gift or ability I have is from God—and it is only by God’s grace that I write anything or have anything published. So why be so stingy?
I think that first fruits idea has a lot going for it, don’t you? And I hope I remember my green beans lesson for a long time to come.
Jo-Anne Berthelsen's Blog 
It was lovely to read this this morning, Jo-Anne, and think of our time with you and Lionel. It was a pleasure to meet your kind neighbour and to know you are an answer to her prayer. They still have a harvest festival in Northern Ireland and have the most amazing displays, which are then distributed to people in need. I’ll put a pic on Facebook!
We’ve enjoyed picking broad beans and strawberries as well as the ubiquitous silver beet since we came home. We also discovered a huge crop of hemlock along the river bank. We think the seeds must have come down with last year’s floods. Thankfully, Stuart has a metal slasher on his brush-cutter so he has taken on the challenge of cutting it down before the seeds form. You probably know all parts of it are highly poisonous and the roots are deadly. It has been used in some notable murders down the ages!
We head for Miles on Thursday and hope to be there by four or five in the afternoon. We will stay until Monday 20th this time. Both past and present Session Clerks are thrilled that we are coming. I am looking forward to staying in the Manse again and am taking my Year 10 (Junior) journal to see if I can remember a few more specifics of life at 15. It is quite painful reading some of what I wrote then but I think it is also beneficial. It is also interesting to be reminded of happenings and people I’d forgotten.
I have ordered at the Library the books Deb Porter recommended I read so hopefully they will be waiting for me when we go to town tomorrow. Did you fill in the questionnaire the conference organisers sent? I will probably go again next year if we are staying with Duncan and Miriam at that time. I realize you are not planning to go.
I think of you both looking after those dear little people of yours. I am sure it would make me very tired and I pray the Lord gives you the strength and patience you need.
I will get on with my Christmas Cake now. The last couple of years I have wondered why I make it but this year Stu and Rach and family are coming for Christmas and Ruth and Roslyn for New Year so it will be good to have it. I’m making the 25cm round one that was the base of my wedding cake. I use the same recipe Stuart’s mother used for our wedding cake.
Every blessing,
Love, Marion
Ooh, Marion–that hemlock crop could provide some great ideas for a kids’ mystery story or the like!!! I can just seen Stuart attacking it with his slasher!
I hope you both have a lovely time back in Miles, Marion, and that you enjoy being in the manse once again. Imagine your still having those journals from when you were fifteen! Another friend wrote to me this week, saying something the same, and how sad it was to read all the things back then that caused such angst. I hope it’s not too painful to read all you wrote then–but maybe some great stories will come out of that pain too. I think there would be.
Re the books from the library, I wonder what Deb Porter suggested you read? If they are books about writing, I may have some, if the library can’t get them, and I could lend them to you. And re the writers’ conference next year in Adelaide, I had forgotten you might already be in SA around that time–that would be great if you could go again. And I might still get there again–it just depends where I’m at in my writing journey by then really. And yes, I did do the conference questionnaire–I think that’s a great way of giving feedback.
Love, Jo-Anne
G’day Jo-Anne, you could share this post with your Green Beans Friend!
A unique way of giving ‘First Fruits’ as I don’t think the church would appreciate green beans in the offering plate!
Leanne
Yes, I plan to do that, Leanne–I think she would like that. And hmm … it is a tempting thought to pop some beans or such like in that offering bag next Sunday! You are leading me astray!