Tomayto Tomatto

A proverbial vegi -tale.

In life, there are tomato growers and tomato throwers.

Tomato growers grow tomatoes because they enjoy the blessings of a fresh tomato. They know how wonderful a tomato tastes when placed perfectly between two slices of bread. Add some mayo, salt & pepper, maybe some bacon – and perfecto! These kind of folks understand how great the world is with juicy red tomatoes for everyone to enjoy.

Tomato throwers throw tomatoes because they enjoy the mess it creates. They don’t care about tomatoes. They just like to see the chaos produced from chunking a juicy tomato at someone or something. They joyously watch as the plump tomato erupts in a bright red explosion as it hits its intended target. The bigger the mess the better.

Tomatoes in one person’s hand brings a blessing. Same tomatoes in someone else’s and it makes a mess.

Life is filled with opportunities to hurl tomatoes at folks, and there are plenty of targets to receive them. People who do us wrong. People who are difficult to deal with. People who may even deserve it. We can join the horde of tomato tossers and most people around us won’t even bat an eye. Truth is, the crowd will probably cheer us on.

Or.

We can do something different. We can be a blessing to those same people. The ones who do us wrong. The ones who are difficult to deal with. The ones who deserve it. Instead of seeking harm, we can choose compassion. Take that same tomato and slice it up and serve it up.

Paul says in Ephesian 4:31-32:

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Today each of us faces a choice. We can be people who add to the mess we find in the world around us. Or, we can be people who bring blessing to the lives of others out of what God is growing in our lives. We can be ones who bring chaos and destruction out of the bitterness, anger, and malice we harbor within us. Or, we can be ones willing to imitate Jesus and show kindness, demonstrate a tender heart, and practice forgiveness.

Everyday, you can add to the mess or produce a blessing. The decision is yours.

A tomato on a plate is better than a tomato to the face.

Be a tomato grower not a tomato thrower.