This year to celebrate Earth Day my oldest grandson and I went to the store for garden supplies. Now, it’s not the first time he has helped me with working in the garden or the yard, but it was the first time he would help plant seeds. He has always helped after the seeds have grown to a plant, sure transplanting is fun, but Saturday was a learning experience for both of us.
As, we started to plant the seeds that one day will turn into our food he marveled at the thought that the little seeds he held in his hands will grow into the different kinds of fruit and vegetables, we had great discussions on it but when I explained we had to keep the little seeds in a warm dark place his mind was blown! He wondered how they could grow without sun, and that’s when I said most growing happens in the dark. The little seed needs the dark to use the stored energy supply in its own cells to grow and that only can happen when it’s in the dark soil, because when the seed is in the light soil then it only uses half of its stored energy supply to start growing.
Now it has been a LONG time since I was in grande school earth science, but he got the short and simple answer. We finished planting our seeds and moved on to the flower beds to plant a full-sized flower, but as he did, I thought back on how the most important growing in the dark doesn’t stop with germination of seeds for the garden. We need the dark of night to get our rem sleep and when that doesn’t happen, so many health problems arise, but what if it is also true with spirit/soul?
We need the dark or also known as the difficult times in our life to grow as people. It’s definitely not the most pleasant place to be. Who wants to have the job loss, health crisis, children rebelling, death of a loved one or a spouse leaving but it is in those exact places we can grow into better people, it’s at those times in our life we can stay in the dark and end up worse than when the tragic event happened or grow. Sure, during those dark times you may need the energy supply of someone else. Someone you can lean on someone that will give you their energy supply until you can get to that above ground stage.
I find that friends, family, and therapist are all so good during the dark times, but as helpful as those people are and needed the energy source, I need most is from the one who can see in the dark, the one who knows just how long I will be in there and knows what is happing after the dark days are over, the one who made me. God is and always will be the energy source that can get you through to the other side of the dark and into the light. So, you can bloom and be just what you were created to be.
Psalm 34:17-18
17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Exodus 14:14
14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.
