Susan at the Minnesota Arboretum with the tulips

By Susan Shanklin

Tom said I should call my article this time, “The Spring That Never Happened”.

Does that phrase fit what is happening in your life today? Something that you have been waiting for and keep looking for, and it just never seems to come to pass.

It’s the end of May and it’s 48 degrees and the wind  chill is 44 degrees. Folks, we shouldn’t be talking about wind chills here in late May.

May is Spring for us here in upper Midwest. Wind chill is for January and I’m wondering if I should put on two or three layers of clothing to go outside. Do I wear the stocking cap or the wool hat with ear flaps? Is it the fiber-filled coat or the down coat?

Yesterday, we turned our furnace back on. We exhausted our seven cords of wood that we used to supplement our natural gas furnace.

Have you exhausted a supply of faith or well doing?

I scan the different weather reports and look out the window, which seems to be a better guide to actual weather than the guy or gal on TV. I look for a sign of change to happen. I say to Tom, “Tomorrow, it is going to warm up.”

Tomorrow comes and it rains. Rains from the Northeast no doubt, not warm rains from the South.

All of a sudden, trouble comes from a different direction! Another low punch. Unexpected!

POW!

I suppose I could succumb to the cold, wet, breezy unseasonable circumstances, events, conditions or afflictions. I could say, this is God’s will for people who need to choose stocking caps over ear flaps. I could say, this is God’s will, just because I see what is happening in the conditions or situations.

I started some Brandywine tomato, cabbage and zinnia seeds later than usual under a grow light hanging with baling twine and suspended from hot water pipes in the dining room.

I planted seeds by faith. They were good seeds placed in peat pods, well watered and tended to. Bye golly, they sprouted in the controlled environment—the tender plants heated, spoken to, and nurtured by the loving farm wife.

“You have a destiny,” I told the little tomato plants. “You are going to grow and produce nice luscious, red fruit for Tom and Susan. You tomatoes are going to look so pretty sitting in jars of juice, sauces and ketchup. You little tomato plants have a future and a hope.”

I took my tomato hopes outside one day and transplanted them into larger pots. I know from the directions for growing plants from seeds that I just couldn’t throw them in the ground but I had to harden them up and get them used to the wiles of the outside world.

On a sunny day when it was not too cold, I would carry my trays of tomatoes outside just for a few hours to let them taste the world to which they would be going. “This is what you are going to have to get used to,” I told them. “Winds from all directions. Strange animals sniffing your leaves and gushes of water, cold water from the watering can. Can you take it little plants? Are you able to take the rough stuff and produce for the farmer? You have the blueprint of success inside you, you know. Your DNA says right here on the package, “Large Rosy-Pink Brandywine Tomato.’”

How about you? What does your DNA say? More than a conqueror? Healed? Whole? Complete? Forgiven?

FINALLY! The little plants are ready, ready to be planted. The rains have stopped for a few days and the soil can be tilled. Tom tunes up the tiller. Tom had a problem with the tiller from the end of last Fall that he hadn’t tended to before the next Spring. Mmmmmm, sound familiar to anyone????? Tom’s tiller wouldn’t go into reverse. Ha. He could go forward but not backward. Well, what’s wrong with that?

We all want to be forward people not backwards……..but if you want to get out of a tough space you need to go backwards and then go forward. Anyway, Tom takes the belt guard off and removes the massive weed, hay and stubble off the tines and it becomes a full and complete running machine.

I’m in heaven seeing the fresh-turned earth. Soft billows of dirt longing for seeds and plants. Tom hoes and I plant this time. Tom is more upright and I bend. Women are more geared to bending-—bending to pick up socks, bending to pickup tissues off the floor, bending to pick up towels. Some of you get it…..ha ha!

I carry my baby tomatoes outside and we plant and water and lovingly gaze at the “children.”

In my mind I see the tall, staked plants bursting with mouth-watering juice that is flowing down my chin to my shirt. I take the side of my hand and wipe the sweet, tangy raw broth. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

We go to bed that night knowing the seeds and plants are started and their destiny is sure.

BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM…….The sky lights up with cracking thunder and lighting. Rain falls from the sky.

Yes, rain. This is good!

Rain for two days. Well that’s ok.

Rain for three days. You can stop now.

Rain for four days. This is not fun.

And on and on we go. Clouds, cool breezes, unseasonable weather, they call it.

Unseasonable, abnormal, unnatural and unwanted. Is that what you’ve got? Something unseasonable, abnormal, unnatural and unwanted?

I woke up today and said, “Enough is enough!” God is a good God and He is working on my behalf and I AM His daughter and He does love me and care about EVERYTHING that is going on in my life and……..my garden!

I am doing my part and I will trust Him to do His part.

It says here on the package too, “90-100 days.”

It also says, “Soil fertility should be normal. Water them if dry. Apply mulch to preserve moisture and prevent weeds. Cage or stake to prevent soil contact with fruit.”

Now that’s good preaching. Check your soil fertility. Water if dry. Preserve your moisture. Keep out the weeds and prevent the world from coming in contact with your fruit.”

Ha ha ha ha. I’m smiling now.

I serve a true and live God and NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE THAT!