We are planting a vegetable garden. Or, I guess I should say we are trying to plant one. The beds were beautifully prepared by my husband, and I got them seeded, and we had moved on to figuring out what kind of fence we were going to put around it, as we knew we’d have a problem with a variety of critters finding those tender green shoots irresistible.

Yesterday I walked out and Kevin told me we had a problem with the garden. Already, before we could barely even see the tiny bits of green peeking out, the garden was being trampled to death by night visitors. Out here, it could be just about anything! I went down, and sure enough, those fragile little plants trying so hard to push up were being tramped down before they could even take a good pull of sunlight. Upon further viewing, however, there was one that, even though it had been directly stepped on, had pushed completely up through the soil. It’s leaves were almost completely unfurled, and even as it was sitting in a little pit of sorts with the soil pushed up all around it from the footprint of the animal, it was wide open to the sun. It was obviously going to make it, eventually growing up and out of that pit…eventually covering it completely.

Later, I had an opportunity to talk with a sweet friend of mine. She’s walked a hard road, this friend, even in her relatively small number of years on this earth. You might say that circumstances of life over which she’s had no control have stepped on her, pushing her down before she even really got started. You might say that they formed a pit of sorts that has had her trapped for a good long while. But as I listened to her talk, saying hard words, remembering hard things, I could imagine her pushing up from that pit, stretching out and up and unfurling toward a Son who was coaxing her from the hard soil. And it was obvious, in that moment, that she was going to make it, eventually growing up and out of that pit…eventually covering it completely.

I laid my head down last night, thankful to be witness to such bravery, for that’s what it takes to push up from a pit. Bravery to push out from the adversity, struggling toward life and freedom, and knowing the only way to find it is to be completely unfurled toward the Son.

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NIV

“He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid groundand steadied me as I walked along.” Psalm 40:2 NLT

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,and all that is within me,bless his holy name!Bless the Lord, O my soul,and forget not all his benefits,who forgives all your iniquity,who heals all your diseases,who redeems your life from the pit,who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,who satisfies you with goodso that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1-5 ESV

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 NLT

“He brought me out into a spacious place;  he rescued me because he delighted in me.” Psalm 18:19 NIV