Do You Need to Be Tomato-Staked?

Tomato-staking is a technique that gardeners use for young tomato plants.  First, dig a hole to plant the tomato plant in, and then place a stake next to it.  To assist the young plant to grow a straight, strong stalk, tie the plant to the stake using twine, or better yet, old knee-high pantyhose.  When the plant is mature and producing fruit, the stake will assist the plant from becoming too heavily burdened by the fruit which could cause the stalk to be broken.

You ask, why in the world am I blogging about gardening techniques when the purpose of this blog has been encouragement and accountability?  Well, you see, tomato-staking is also a term that many homeschoolers use for a form of discipline.  (Discipline also means "to teach".)  When a child, young or older, has a habit of misbehaving that child might find him/herself "tomato-staked" to the parent.  They would get to spend extra time close to the mother or father's side until such a time that the parent feels that the child can behave herself appropriately.  This time might be spent doing chores, even extra ones, or just reading quietly in the same room as mom while mom spends time reading.  It would not be a time for the child to be more of a nuisance so as to escape the discipline that is being doled out to him.

When I am introduced to people as a "pastor's wife," I quite frequently explain to them that I did not get that job because I am a goody-two-shoes and deserve it!  God tomato-staked me to one of His men because He knew (in His infinite wisdom) that without doing so I would be off doing my own little business, playing among the minefields of life because there are wildflowers there, or just simply smelling the roses and getting pricked by the thorns of life.  I would not be paying attention to where I was going, in which direction I was headed, or  to what it was that God had placed me on this earth to do.  I just want to know why He tomato-staked me to a preacher! Couldn't it have been to a worship leader instead?!  Does this mean that I need more sermons than the average person?  Why couldn't I just go through life singing praise songs, or better yet, listening to them being sung to me by the rich bass/baritone voice of my Knight in Shining Armor?  (My daughters used to think this was funny, until I pointed out to them that the same principle applies to them - why are they preacher's kids?!)

So, my question remains:  do you need to be tomato-staked?  Perhaps you do not need to be staked to a preacher, worship leader or youth pastor.  Perhaps you need to be tomato-staked to God Himself.  (I'm tomato-staked to God, but I have to have an undershepherd to keep me marching to the tune of the right Drummer.)  The Holy Spirit does the job of the pantyhose - holding us close to the Father, teaching us to do His will.  There is just enough elasticity to allow you to have make your own choices, but pull you back up right when you try to stray outside of God's will for you.  It will keep you from becoming too heavily burdened by the cares of this world, mired down in the muck of Sin Swamp, the dry arid sand of Desolate Desert, and the blatant, bold wilds of Wickedness Wilderness.  If these are the places that you find yourself in, turn back, run as fast as you can to the Tomato-Stake and tie yourself to Him.

"Submit yourselves, then, to God.  

Resist the devil, and 

he will flee from you.  

Come near to God and 

He will come near to you.  

Wash your hands, you sinners, 

and purify your hearts, 

you double-minded.  

Grieve, mourn and wail.  

Change your laughter to mourning 

and your joy to gloom.  

Humble yourselves before the Lord, 

and He will lift you up."  

James 4:7-9