I do love me a gardening analogy!

When I was a little girl my Grandpa grew the most magical climbing sweet peas on his back porch.  Each spring I would be enchanted with the spicy sweet smell as they over took the porch. All (as in more than 20 so we don't need to go into details) these years later when I smell a sweet pea I'm 6 again, eating my 4th ice cream bar of the day and thinking that summer lasts forever..

This year I planted my sweet peas on a miserable cold pouring down rain typish day.

I had this thought about how there are these times in our lives that are a little rainy, maybe a bit miserable... we wonder if the rain will ever stop.  During those seemingly helpless, grey times we might go along wondering if we will ever see the sun again.  Is what I'm doing even making one bit of difference? Does anyone even notice me down here.. below in all the mucky mud, buried, covered up?

That day in the rain I planted those sweet peas in faith.  I planted them with the knowledge and hope that a bit of cold weather, a whole lot of rain, some dirt and a little bit of solitude would bring forth a beautiful bloom.

Before that day, it was just an average seed in a sea of many other seeds...

it was then shoved in the cold, dark, lonely earth and made to struggle.  That single seed had to fight wormy predators and elements completely out of it's control.

During (hardish) (intense) (lonely) types of seasons we grow (deeper) roots, look inward to what really matters (because outward beauty is so fleeting and subject to change and opinions) we learn to rely on ourself rather than the (co) dependence of others and really fight for every inch as we move closer to the surface.. closer to breaking out.. closer to becoming what God has intended us to be all along.

We are made to grow past these seasons (because a seedling that does not break the surface dies due to lack of light) made to stretch (and sometimes that stretching HURTS like HECK!) towards the sun.

Past the stretch, past the dirt, past the darkness, the rain and all that grit is freedom.
Oh and let me tell you dear reader.. it's just as good as you would expect it to be..

It's a life lived open.. your face fearlessly pointed towards the sun, knowing that the rain and grit only made you better, stronger, complete.

This is where the Creator wants you.. deep down you know this where YOU WANT to be.




Hope you are basking in the glorious summer sun my dear and faithful reader (s)!

xxoo