Though I have had a large garden each year for the last 12 years, I have always struggled to keep up with it. My husband and I would start out each season strong. We would work hard to get rid of the weeds and prepare the garden boxes. We would make a plan, buy and start the seeds, or buy starter plants. We would plant, and tend to the garden, but inevitably, the weeds and pests would take over. Eventually, each summer, I would get to the point of avoiding the garden because the ceaseless weed pulling, and uphill battle against pests, was hard on my physical and mental well-being. It was discouraging and overwhelming to even see the garden from my kitchen window.
Last Spring, while buying starter plants at the nursery, we made a resigned comment to the employee about how, although we try, we mostly end up growing weeds in our garden. They encouraged us to purchase a weed-prevention product that is supposed to keep new weeds from growing. We bought this, along with some highly recommended nutrient-rich mulch.
After the last frost, we worked the new mulch into the soil, planted our starter plants, and sprinkled the weed-prevention granules throughout the garden. Then, with cautious optimism, we stood back to admire our newly planted garden in the fading light of day. It was beautiful.
The next day was Mother’s Day. That afternoon I wandered back out to the garden, expecting to bask in the beauty, order, and hopefulness of a newly planted garden. Instead, I was met by the sight of a garden full of baby plants that looked half-dead! Alarmed, I immediately checked the automatic drip lines, thinking the baby plants must be thirsty. But the drip lines were fine, the timer was working, and the plants had been given enough water. The sun was shining. There had been no frost overnight, and no storm had come through the area. The only thing I could imagine being the cause for the struggling plants was that, perhaps, the composition of the nutrient-rich mulch was too much for the baby plants. But, if that was the case, then the damage was done. I could not “un-amend” the soil. I would just have to watch and wait.
Everyday, except Sundays, I would walk out to the garden to do three things: first, check on my plants; second, pull any new weeds; and third, check the squash plants for squash bugs and their eggs. In past years, whenever we had planted squash, we would perhaps get a few squash, before inevitably losing the plant to nasty squash bugs. I was determined to win the battle this year, knowing that it doesn't take long at all for squash bugs to multiply and destroy entire, healthy plants.
For the first month to month-and-a-half, it was unclear whether any of the plants in the garden would survive. We lost a few in those early days and weeks. But then it seemed as though the remaining plants had stabilized, and would survive. This restored hope to me that, perhaps, we might be able to have a harvest, afterall.
Yet, day after day, week after week, the plants did not seem to be growing. They no longer looked as though they were dying, but they seemed stunted. I remember one day, just standing in my garden, wondering how these plants that had been given good soil, plenty of water and sunshine, and had been lovingly and consistently cared for could just refuse to grow. Then, I wondered how something similar might happen with a person’s faith - how they might be given the spiritual equivalent of good soil, plenty of water and sunshine, and how they may have been lovingly and consistently cared for, and yet, for whatever reason, their “faith garden” might appear stunted as well. Then, the Spirit whispered to me that none of the effort is wasted. What appears to me to be stunted growth, might not reflect what is going on below the surface. The Spirit suggested to me that because these plants have had to struggle in order to survive this long, they may have deeper roots, and a better ability to endure hardship, and produce good “fruit”, than they might otherwise have had.
I also observed that because the plants were slow to grow, and because of the weed preventative product, I was easily able to pull any weeds, as they popped up, and before they could develop strong roots.
And, because the squash plants were still very small, when the squash bugs did show up– and they most certainly did!-- I was easily able to check every part of the plant every day, kill the bugs, and remove the eggs.
One day, after killing the squash bugs, removing their eggs, and pulling the weeds, I was walking around and looking at each of my plants. I noticed something was “off” with one of my tomato plants. I realized I was seeing “droppings” of some sort. As I looked closer, I could tell something was eating my tomato plant. So, I searched the tomato plant and found the culprit – a large, fat, happy, green, nasty tomato worm! Tomato worms, like squash bugs, can quickly decimate a healthy plant. I quickly disposed of him, and checked for more. He was the only one that day, but I began a regular practice of checking my tomato plants after that, finding several more over the course of the season.
About mid-July, the plants in my garden began to really grow, and baby vegetables could be seen throughout. My garden routine was now taking place in the early morning, before the heat of the day. One day, as I was carefully inspecting the underside of each squash leaf, looking for and finding more squash bug eggs, I frustratingly wondered how they could possibly keep showing up. I was so thorough in my inspections, and in my killing of all the squash bugs I found each day. Where were they coming from?! And then, I observed a bug flying right over to the plant I was then working on. It was a squash bug! To that point, I had no idea they could fly! Admittedly, I was overwhelmed and discouraged. I realized that I could conceivably find and kill all the squash bugs currently on my plants, and I could conceivably find and get rid of all of the eggs on all of the leaves on my plants, and THEY WOULD JUST KEEP COMING. It seemed like a battle I could never win.
By this point, though, my plants had really taken root, and were actively growing fruits and vegetables. I couldn’t give up now, this was a garden I had invested so much time and care into, and it had become a garden worth fighting for. And so, I continued my routine. Day after day, week after week.
And, oh the harvest from that garden! Basket after basket of beautiful tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, tomatillos, lettuce, and herbs! A harvest that often overwhelmed me in its abundance. This was by far the prettiest, healthiest, most productive garden I had ever grown. I joked that it was the first garden I had grown that actually looked like it had a gardener.
And, if I’m wrong about squash bugs, what else might I be misunderstanding about the nature of opposition in my life and in the world? What other beauty, abundance, growth, and opportunity is brought about by the efforts required when dealing with something that seems ugly, and overwhelming, and impossible to overcome?
2 Ne 2:11
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