You haven't been buried. You've been planted.

When my father was alive, he was an avid gardener. I cannot recall a time in my childhood that we didn't have a flourishing garden. As a child, I didn't much like gardening. It was dirty, I had to pull weeds, and getting up on a Saturday morning to "help in the garden" wasn't every teenager's dream.

Fast forward a few years, and Steven and I have had the gardening seed planted in our hearts. The Lord spoke to me last fall and said, "Get back to the garden." I know that there are spiritual implications here, but there are also natural. We have started a garden, and we are seeing tiny seeds of hope springing up.

Last week, in faith, we planted our little seeds. If you are a gardener, this may not seem like much to you. But for Steven and me, planting these tiny seeds in their pod cups was quite an event! We sat on our deck with the seed tray and planted these little seeds into the darkness of the soil. Some were so small it was hard to place them in the cups. Some were so light, they blew away in the wind. Every day for a week, we've been watching over them, watering them, putting them in the sun, and bringing them in at night. We planted them, and we hoped.

We planted our little seed babies in their tray and hoped for the best!

These little seeds are like a metaphor for our lives right now. The Lord has been walking us through a wilderness season. Both Steven and I are feeling a bit of what St. John of the Cross called "The Dark Night of the Soul." So as we planted those seeds in their dark little pods, we hoped to see new life spring forth as we hope will come forth from our lives as well.

HOPE.

When was the last time you meditated on that word?
When was the last time you felt hopeful?

For me, it has been a long while. Life, worry, anxiety, stress, 2020, death, grief, uncertainty, and so much more rob us of hope. Little by little, the world chips away at hope until we are just going through the motions in a perpetual "Groundhog Day."

Maybe, you are feeling a bit hopeless today.
Perhaps you're in the wilderness or your own "dark night of the soul."
Maybe you feel like you've been buried.

Friend, I am learning that perspective changes everything. You could view your wilderness moment as a death, a burial. Or, you can view the wilderness, not as a place where you've been buried but a place where you've been planted.

Your wilderness moment isn't meant to kill you . . . it's to flourish you.

After Jesus was baptized, He didn't do miracles. He didn't preach a sermon. He didn't post on Instagram. He didn't take a selfie. He went into the wilderness. Why? To be tempted." (Matthew 4:1-11) The Spirit led Him to that lonely, buried, dark place to be tempted . . . to be prepared to flourish in the ministry for which God sent Him.

If you are walking through the wilderness, if you are in a time of testing, spiritual warfare, whatever it is that has you feeling buried, be encouraged, Friend.

Your trial is for a purpose.
Your testing will produce a testimony.
You aren't being buried to be forgotten.
You are being planted to grow and flourish.

While in the wilderness, you have a choice. You could fade away, or you can do what needs to be done to flourish. Steven and I didn't just plant the seeds in the darkness of the dirt and walk away. We've been actively helping them along.

How to flourish.

1. Water yourself.

Become saturated in the Scriptures. Read, listen, memorize, Inscribe, meditate on God's Word, and let the Holy Spirit teach you and bring all things to remembrance. (John 14:26)
Friend, this is not an option. 

2. Get Some Sun.

Go outside.
Get some sun.
Sit in creation.
Go on a walk—breath in the goodness of God.

3. Rest.

When we are in the wilderness/buried/tested, we try to get out of it. We try to "fix" the problem. Jesus didn't fix His wilderness testing. He stayed in it for forty days and nights. As hard as it is, you have to rest and let the Lord lead when you are in the wilderness.
Trust the symphony He has composed for your life.
Trust that He is working all things together for good.
Trust Him and rest in His promises.

Hope springs eternal! We have seedlings.

Being planted can feel like burial, but if we change our perspective and if we put on the mind of Christ, this can be your most significant season of flourishing and preparation!

And guess what, Friend?
We have baby plants!
Look at those cuties.

They are sprouting. The lettuce came first, followed by the zinnias. The peppers, eggplants, zucchini, marigolds, and the rest are still incubating, but there is hope. Hope for a great harvest. There is hope that the dark night of the soul isn't forever but preparation for His purpose.