I have beautiful tomato plants ready for the garden, so today I took them out on the porch to start the whole hardening off process. I think I could hear them talking. "Oh, man, what is THIS?! Something's not right. It's cold. It's windy. TAKE ME BACK IN THE HOUSE!!!!"
Earlier this week I took twelve of the smaller tomato plants, who had also never seen the outdoors, and plopped them out on the porch thinking they'd love a little sunshine. Know what happened? They died.
Are you going through a really rough time right now? You can't understand what's happening, and it feels scary and unfair. Anxiety has wrapped around your insides, and you'd really like to yell "TAKE ME BACK IN THE HOUSE!". I know. Life was way better in the sun on the window sill. It's a rough world out there in the raised bed. It rains, storms rage, the wind blows, the temperatures change. You know what? This little time of uncertainty and growth on the back porch is strengthening my plants. Maybe it's doing the same for you. Maybe it's making you strong enough to bear fruit.
James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
