Here you can see a photo of our garden this year. Hubby just harvested the wheat this past Monday. Our garden this year has looked a lot different than last year’s garden.
For starters … our garden this year had a late start! The entire months of May and June were so cold and rainy that the seeds simply could not sprout.
The bean sprouts which finally did manage to poke their little green heads up … were completely eaten off by slugs!
I have a feeling the squirrels and chipmunks must have been digging up and eating the sunflower seeds. And perhaps the pumpkin seeds too. Because I discovered empty seed shells lying here and there where the plants should have been.
I wound up having to re-plant the entire garden.
But even after all that … out of 3 full packets of sunflower seeds, only a total of 3 solitary sunflower plants actually came up; only 4 zucchini plants; and only 3 pumpkin plants.
Compare that to last year’s garden. Here you can see last year’s garden.
May and June were delightfully sunny and warm last year. All the seeds sprouted! The plants grew wonderfully! Here you can see the snow peas we planted last year. We had never grown snow peas before. We had plenty to share with friends!
Last year all the sunflowers came up … as you can see here.
Last year we had a bountiful harvest of cucumbers! As compared to this year where, out of two rounds of planting, none (aka: zero) cucumbers sprouted or grew.
Life is a lot like this! Different seasons look differently.
In life, we all look back on a previous season of our life and we think how good it was back then! That season of life was “a lot better” than this season of life we are in now.
But I would submit … it wasn’t better … it was just different.
I wouldn’t say that last year’s garden was “better” … it was just different.
Last year we grew snow peas. That was fun.
This year we grew wheat. That was also fun.
One wasn’t better than the other. They were both a learning adventure. And they were both fun!
So also, when it comes to life, in one season of life we go through one type of situation. In the next season of life, we go through a completely different type of situation. One isn’t better than the other. They are just different.
For example:
One season of life is raising small toddlers …
while the next season of life is navigating school years …
while the next season of life is surviving high school years …
while the next season of life is letting-go in the college years …
and yet the next season of life is living as friends with adult children.
One season of life isn’t better than the other. In each season there are wonderful things about that season! And in each season, there are hard things!
Each season offers much to be learned! … just like hubby and I learned a lot about growing snow peas and wheat.
This example doesn’t just apply to raising kids … it can also apply to different job/career seasons, etc. …
Last year hubby and I grew cantaloupe and watermelon in our garden. It wasn’t exactly a failure. But it wasn’t exactly a success either. The few melons we got were tiny … about the size that would fit in your palm. And the flavor wasn’t very good at all.
However, it would be easy to look back on that season and to “glorify” how much better it was because we got melons to grow that year. While simultaneously forgetting that the melons weren’t really all that great.
So also, we do this with life’s seasons. We look back on a previous season of life and “glorify” it as being “so much better” … while simultaneously forgetting that it really wasn’t all that great.
I mentioned above that last year’s garden was a lot more “successful” at growing cucumbers than this year. This year’s garden didn’t produce any cucumbers at all.
There will be seasons in life when we are succeeding! We are “going places!” We are accomplishing greatness! And then there are other seasons in life when it feels like we just can’t get a break! We just can’t win.
This is life.
The previous season wasn’t “better” … it was just different.
True, the cucumbers weren’t “successful” this year … but there has been a lot of other growth in other areas!
For example, even though only 3 sunflower plants came up … they are loaded with blooms! They are fruitful! They are producing! They are beautiful! And they are bringing me so much joy!
That is what matters!! Even though one part of the garden (aka: the “cucumber” part) wasn’t “successful” … there is fruitfulness in another part! There is beauty in another part!
So also, in life, when you feel like one season of your life isn’t as “successful” as a previous season … when you feel like you “can’t win” … you “can’t get a break” … rest assured that there is growth happening in other areas of your life.
You might not be able to see it right away. But it is there.
Another example: even though only 3 pumpkin plants came up this year … we have 3 beautiful little orange sugar-pie pumpkins almost ready for harvest! They have been fruitful! They produced a harvest! And they will be delicious!
So also, in life, if you are struggling with the “season” that you are in, know that this season matters! This season can still be “fruitful!” Even if it doesn’t look like it, compared to “last season.”
If you are in a season of life where you are feeling like you “just can’t get a break” … know that there is growth happening somewhere else, in another area of your life.
Every season matters!
Every season has lessons to teach!
Every season has hard times!
Every season has joyful times!
And every season can be fruitful!
Different seasons look differently.
