They Were MINE.

I love flowers.

I enjoy planting them. Watering. Nurturing. And watching them grow and bloom into a beautiful array of colors.

The same is true for my vegetable plants in the garden. It takes hard work, continued effort, and ongoing pruning to reap the benefits later in the summer. The benefits do not appear overnight, much to my desire.

I recently planted my garden for this year. I had spent a couple of months nurturing some seedlings indoors and spent time researching soil needs, and when it was projected that I would have good conditions free from any more frost, we planted them outdoors.

My husband helped me get our raised garden beds just right, and I carefully took the little seedlings and transplanted them to their new home. We ensured they were fed, watered, and secured safely inside the fence surrounding them. I’m not going to lie-there was much excitement and a feeling of pride as I felt like I had done something big.

Not even one week after planting, much to my surprise, a feeling of irritation and devastation overtook me. I opened up the fence to find my little green plants GONE. I’m not talking about little sprouts that were dead and laid over on the soil. I’m talking COMPLETELY GONE. ADIOS. NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. There was no evidence they had ever been there, except for the stakes I had put up to provide them some support.

Talk about frustration. My husband can attest to how annoyed I felt that much of my hard work over the past several months was now in the belly of some animal. I can only hope that said animal was truly desperate for a meal and really needed these veggies. Because, after all, they were mine.

Isn’t this an accurate picture of life? We work hard in some arena, and maybe we don’t get the credit we thought would surely come our way. Maybe your plants got eaten, or maybe they didn’t grow like you thought they would. Maybe others have a plethora of fulfilled dreams while you’re still waiting for your next big break.

Regardless of the exact situation, when we feel like the rug was pulled out from under us, it stings. A lot of times, I don’t want to admit it, but I can be a little prideful. A little jealous of others. I’m now continuing to nurture my garden with a little more of a humble heart.

We can all use a deep breath and a few moments of relaxation in our days. May we grow to be more patient in all things, choosing to be more like Christ. Even if others (or stealing critters) want to try to knock us down.

Proverbs 16:18 - MSG

First pride, then the crash—the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.