"Op-TEA-mistic" View of Growth

I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things. (Isaiah 45:7,)

I could easily blog on lessons learned, or needed to be learned, by one who gardens with a brown thumb. But this entry is looking for the bright side of darkness. This entry is about the darkness that provides growth. A bit of darkness is required by some plants in order to flourish. The same could be said of the similarities found in the spiritual world. Often are biggest life lessons are learned in seasons of darkness.

Due to 35 years of tree growth since we first moved into our home, we have limited sunshine in our yard. Thus, the need for flowers that can actually grow in the dark corners of my beds.

Even last night's reading in 2 Timothy reminded me of the lessons the apostle Paul learned and shared from the darkness of a dark and dingy Roman prison. Yet, thousands of years later, those lessons speak to my heart as I prepare to teach on "seasons." Seasons of life, even those which include times of darkness and solitude.

Darkness in both life and a flower bed are ordained by our creator. My Lenten rose plant was a gift from Mimi and has proven both drought resistant and shade tolerant. Plus, it's a perennial! Even my coral bells (heychera) need the darkness provided by shade due to heat of Memphis summers. Sometimes shade can offer relief from the "heat" of life's circumstances as well as the outside temperature, which can exacerbate problems, both physical and spiritual. 

I think I'll put an ice cube in my "op-TEA-mistic" cuppa while I ponder more of the positive lessons that I can learn about darkness.