We moved out to our 23
acre mini farm in Ohio the Spring of 1987 the grass was growing and the flowers
were blooming. I never saw anything more lovely and green in my life! We had a
big storm the second night we were there that knocked our electric out, and
wondered how many more we would have to endure that Summer. The answer ended up
being zero. It never rained again. By mid Summer everything looked to be dead
or dying, and the ground started to crack. The ground became drier and drier
even though I tried watering and watering. It didn’t seem to help, but then I
noticed my hard work had not gone to waste. Something was indeed growing! The
soil was fertile... for weeds! The dry and dusty ground was indeed a fertile
place.
Even in good weather
when plants are thriving, the weeds grow and spread much faster than the
plants I desire to keep. It’s as if the weeds need very little to germinate and
grow. I think the same thing happens to us. God brings us to a dry and
dusty place for the purpose of creating something beautiful. Sometimes we think
nothing will grow in the place God has put us because it feels like a dry
and barren desert. But that’s not true!
The soil God has planted
us in is indeed fertile ground. It is a soil in which God desires to
nurture us through our struggles and drive our roots deep. God’s desire
is that we would trust Him and bloom with thanksgiving, praise and joy
even in a desert. Too often we respond to His nurturing by giving back a
bumper crop of weeds in the form of complaint and doubt.
If this is where you find
yourself look with new eyes today and see God's hand. It's there.
