Below the Surface

Last fall I planted a bunch of tulip bulbs. I was so excited for the garden to explode in color this spring. In late winter I could see them poking through the ground and my hope and excitement grew. I'd check on them regularly and found it odd that a lot of the stems looked as though someone had already snipped the blossoms off, only I had never seen any blossoms. I came to realize that the deer had been eating my tulips before they ever had a chance to bud and flower. As a recovering procrastinator (regarding things of importance), I was frustrated that I had put in the time and effort to plant them at the correct time of year, only to get a handful that actually bloomed.

After a conversation with my dad, I decided I would move the few bulbs that survived. I didn't feel like digging up the bulbs on this dreary day, but I went out to do it anyway. I began where I could see a remnant of the stalk. Upon digging up the first bulb, I could see that there were actually two stuck together. I dug up another and noticed more than one, as well. I've planted dahlias for a few years and knew that they multiply, but I never knew that tulips did, too. Discovering this began to excite me. Maybe all of the work I had put in wasn't in vain.

Instead of only digging up where I saw partial stalks, I dug the whole row. I was elated to find that even though the stalk had been eaten, the bulb still multiplied. Despite seeing spiders, worms, slugs, and things I didn't even recognize, I used my bare hands to dig out the bulbs.

This process reminded me of how there are times we start on a path that we believe God has for us. We plan and prepare what we think will result in a harvest, whether it's starting a business or a family, pursuing a career, or sewing a financial seed. We can be met with disappointment when things don't happen the way we think they will or in the time frame we allotted.

Did you know that science says that digging in dirt can positively impact the immune system because it exposes you to beneficial microbes? In children, it can even reduce the risk of them developing allergies or asthma. I could have asked my dad to till the garden, cutting my losses. In choosing to get dirty, sweaty, and come into contact with gross organisms, I discovered that what I thought was a loss, was an illusion. I had actually increased.

Isaiah 55:11 reads, "It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it." When you don't see the fruit on your timeline, be confident in God's word. You may never know what He is doing below the surface. Just know that it is going to be good.