Consider the potato

It’s New Year’s Eve 2018, everybody, and a wonderful time to give thanks again to the Lord for His rich provision over the past year. He provides for all of our needs through His potent and deeply layered and intricate Creation. Take a few minutes and think about the processes at work in Nature (His Nature, for it is not functioning apart from God). Consider the potato (I am in Idaho after all). 

The humble ground dwelling potato plant grows as an herbaceous (not woody) perennial plant. It has been cultivated for millenia and continues to be a staple crop for much of the world’s population. Many of us have grown potatoes in the backyard or watched as the old potato in the compost pile capably colonized its new territory once the spring sun warmed things up enough.

Potatoes like all other plants require SIXTEEN essential nutrients/elements! Potatoes are far from the most picky plants to propagate, yet they still require this much forethought and planning to be successful. Not only do they require hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, copper, molybdenum (Yes, really), boron, and more, they need these nutrients in the correct amounts and in the absence of other chemicals that could replace or interfere with the uptake of the correct elements.

They need the right amount of water and warmth and sunlight at the right time to begin growth from a pre-existing seed potato. Seed potatoes are tiny potatoes kept behind in cool, dark conditions from the previous year’s crop in order to plant the following year.

That was a skin-deep overview of how potatoes become potatoes. Many layers of design could be investigated if you are hungry for more. . .

On the flip side, what has been built into the potatoes for our benefit? More potassium than a banana. Fiber galore! Tasty deliciousness and versatility unsurpassed in the starch category. Defense from scurvy. The list goes on as it does for every food plant for that matter.

I hope this reminds you to think and be thankful for a moment when dipping that fry, savoring that mashed goodness or warming up with some good stew. God’s provision is rich and he teaches us through it. Study it as you enjoy it. It is part of His revelation (revealing of Himself) to us.