I planted 3 tomato bushes this spring. They sit side by side receiving the same soil, same feeding, same sun, same water. The two on either end are lush, green and large. The one in the middle sits squat, a little limp – but it was the first to produce fruit.
I don’t know enough about gardening to guess why one would flourish and one not. But as my mind wandered, I wondered what might be going on under the soil. Did it hit a patch with a rock or pipe and couldn’t get fed? Is it just a different seed? And I realized that only God knew what was going on underneath there.
When we look at God’s children, there are a lot of factors that go on “under the soil” that we can’t see. One may look to flourish while others seem to struggle – but there are factors that only God knows. There may be a struggle underground. Think of all Job endured – the cause unknown to him. Each person needs to be tended with care. Even though I can't see underground, I know my tomatoes need water and sun. There are things we know to do for one another – providing nourishment and prayer. But I’m reminded to be careful not to judge what only God knows, because sometimes the struggle brings the heartiest fruit.
No one can explain the things God decides or understand his ways. Romans 11:33
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