Our family has recently planted a garden.  Since it had been getting cool at night we started the seedlings inside.  Every day I have watched and nurtured those little plants.  Some of the seeds popped up quickly while others never came up.  As I watched the plants growing each one stretched out their leaves towards the light.  Once they were big enough we transplanted them outside in our garden.  Shortly after planting them we had a night of heavy wind, rain, and even hail followed by a frost on the ground a few days later.  Even though it was “safe” for us to plant the garden outside there are still risks and dangers.  Many of the seedlings survived the tough few weeks of new growth, however, some did not make it.  Although, our hope was that every plant would thrive we know that nature will do some natural pruning especially in the weaker plants.  For whatever reason some plants didn’t make it (something caused the undesirable side effect…maybe the roots were too shallow or wet / dry or too much shade / sunny or bugs or a number of other factors) .  On the other hand some plants thrived despite all the challenges they faced.

While I was thinking about the plants it occurred to me that the analogy can be applied in some ways to our own lives.  We should be looking towards the Son at all times, the one who created us.  We all grow at our own pace, some of us may have sprouted quickly while others are delayed but have a more solid root structure.  Even though life may not be perfect and we may experience seasons of drought, hail, or disease we still have a choice of where to focus our attention.  Once we decide where we will focus our energy we will experience a variety of ripple effects (sometimes the effects are positive and other times they can can be less desirable).  When we are in stressful situations do we continue to grow or do we wither under the pressure of life? We all want to continue growing, thriving and producing a beautiful fruit.   The big step is making sure our root structure is strong and secure.  We do this through continually cultivating a relationship with our Savior.  Yes, this will take our time, energy and nurturing, but in the end it is worth it.  We all want to feel loved, appreciated and valued yet so often we look towards our earthly relationships to provide that fulfillment whether it is through our spouse, children, serving at church or whatever fills that void.  Instead we should look to our creator who made us, never fails, and loves us unconditionally.  As we notice flowers and plants stretching towards the sun, let that remind us of the importance of reaching towards the Son in our own lives as well.

“Heart Reflections” is a series of thoughts and encouragement that come directly from my heart.  Life has a way of throwing us extra challenges and when our focus is pulled away from what is truly important we tend to feel the pressure of stress in our lives.  This series is created to remind us that we are part of something so much bigger than ourselves.  We don’t have to face the pressure of life on our own.  We can trust that our prayers are being heard.  He alone knows what’s best for us and gives us the appropriate strength to get through each day as it is set before us.

Photo by Stig Nygaard