Failure

I went to bed in one of those "why do I bother" moods. This season, as usually, I planted a garden. Tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, garlic, strawberries, peppers, etc. At the very beginning, a lot of seeds failed to germinate. I am not a novice, so I planted again. This time, the squash, strawberries and tomatoes all came up. The plants grew big and strong, flowered, and I thought I was going to have a nice crop. Well as the season went on, it was obvious something was wrong. Although the plants were large and strong, not a single one had any fruit. You can imagine my disappointment.

I look back over the things I've done this year, things I thought would bear fruit. It finally looked like things were going to go my way. Like hard work and goodness would finally be rewarded. Instead , at the end,it yielded no fruit. Sometimes you feel like what you are doing is useless, all the effort, and when it looks like it's going to payoff, you lift the leaves and find no fruit.

Just remember, although God is sometimes saying you planted in the wrong place, or you did not give it enough fertilizer/water, He is never calling you a failure. The "why bother" spirit is not from the Father of Love.

Galatians 6:9 (KJV)

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Drawn from the well #2

FAITH is not blind. Faith is vision: long range forward thinking vision that sees and knows with an assurance that what is now, is not the sum of all things. It's not the end, only the start of a new beginning yet realized. It is a confident hope, based on experience, that "He that began a good work in you, will be faithful to carry it on until completion until the day He appears (Phil1:6)."

Faith is like health insurance. When you are healthy, you say you have it, you feel covered. But you never know how good it really is until you fall ill.
James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing