The Gate to the Vegetable Patch

The vegetable patch had a little gate between two berry bushes. The path to it curved around the lawn. Oliver thought it would be quicker to step over the low fence near the cabbages.

Granddad asked him to use the gate. The ground beyond the fence held seedlings that were difficult to see. Oliver looked at the longer path and sighed, but he carried his basket around the lawn.

Inside the gate, Granddad showed him rows of tiny leaves. Some had only just opened above the soil. From outside the fence, Oliver had thought the bed was empty. One careless step could have crushed several plants.

They picked beans along the path and placed them in the basket. On their way out, Oliver held the little gate while Granddad passed through. The walk around the lawn no longer seemed like a pointless delay.

Later they read Jesus' words about the narrow way. Granddad explained that the verse was about the way of life, not garden gates. Jesus calls people to follow Him, even when a different road looks easier or has a larger crowd.

Oliver remembered the seedlings he had almost stepped on. Looking easy was not enough to make a path right. We should listen to the Lord's words and trust His direction. The Saviour knows where the road leads even when we can see only the first few steps.