When I shared recently about Unseen Growth on my friend Stephanie’s Read Cook Devour, Jill Redling was inspired to write about hardship and growth.  Because I was spoiled not long ago to wander the rows of vines in the stunning Fingerlakes Region of upstate New York, her comparison of spiritual growth to grapevines and fine wine were familiar and comfortable, and I knew they’d encourage you, too.  From Jill:

Seven days in a week, 52 weeks, everyday we wake up and do it again. Everyday. For me, it has been seven and a half years. There have been great years but even in those great years, there are seasons of great desperation. Seasons where I already can’t before the day has begun and this is when the children are well; throw in three sick kids, two sleepless babies and the days and nights bleed together, the Lord’s new mercies get lost, and weary bones and sore eyes and the frailty of an anxious heart feel like all I know. Everything is hard. Everything is so hard and so, so much work on top of the hard.

I loved Angela’s post “Unseen Growth”, and where she wrote, “Flowers and crops require a dormant season that lasts much longer than their blooming phase;” dang, did that stand out to me!  Even though there is this great amount of work and weariness, it does feel like I’m buried under it all, on auto-pilot, spiritually dormant, submitted (most days), waiting to “bloom”. Waiting to get my hands out of the dirt. 

I coupled that encouragement with Jon Bloom’s (bloom – ha!) book Don’t Follow Your Heart, where he writes, “Great wines come from low-yielding vineyards planted in marginal climates on the poorest soils. Though hard on the vines, these tough conditions are good for the wine, because the vines that are stressed must work harder to produce fruit, which leads to fewer but more concentrated and flavorful grapes.” And, “I think this paradox in nature — stressed vines produce good wines — is also a parable for how God produces rich, complex, intense faith in his children. Because when it comes to faith, God loves good wine.”  

So what am I getting at? Sometimes the dormant stage is even paired with tremendous hardship. These dormant seasons can have stressful conditions with constant strain, and poor, dry, exhausted soil, but oh the glorious faith that will burst forth in due season! That bloom will not be common; it will be extraordinary! Even if in comparison, the dormant season lasts much longer than the bloom, the bloom will always be worth it.

I’m reminded that Jesus was a carpenter. Monday through Saturday, He woke up early and went to bed late, before his earthly ministry even began. He lay dormant. His work was hard. He experienced splintered wood, busted thumbs, no air-conditioning and sweat in his eyes, day after day for thirty years.  Yet He is King over all!

And We are daughters of the king!

When we clean throw-up and break down and get messy and dirty and weak, and definitely don’t smell like roses, we can look to Jesus and remember: we are already seated in the most glorious heavenly throne room, guaranteed a body that can never grow tired or weak, adorned with the beauty of our precious Savior, sitting and feasting in perfect peace. And that blooming phase will never end! There will be no more dormant seasons, no more struggle to produce rich faith – because we will have it! We will be face to face with glory! Our hope is sure!

This life is short.  When Jesus died on the cross, he conquered sin and death, and vanity, and worthless work, and exhaustion, and pain and monotony and anxiety – and rose victorious over it all! And because He rose, because He bloomed once and for all, we bloom!

So press on, you beautifully frail warrior! Rest in our God, who promises us that we will never be put to shame, that our work is not in vain, and that He will be with us and sustain us through the worst of climates. Our heavenly home is waiting, the table is set, the flowers are cut and arrayed in a heavenly glow, and that wine is going to be so good!

Jill Redling says of herself, “Jesus saved me when I was 18, since then he’s wrecked my life with his goodness. I’m a wife to the funniest guy I know, 5 kiddos call me mom and you can call me whatever you like, just don’t call me late for dinner.”  If you’d like to collaborate with Jill, you can contact her at jill.redling@gmail.com.