The Heat of Summer

We’ve had record heat this year for June, weeks of temperatures in the upper 90’s. My pepper plants are loving it. I can’t remember the last time I have had peppers in June, although it was probably ten years ago when we had a similar early heat wave. Usually I have to wait until July.

One year, we had to wait until August. We had had a very cool summer. It was mid-July and our pepper plants still had no fruit at all. We were worried. Was something wrong?

Nick talked to the man at the Agricultural center, and he explained that pepper plants need to be stressed to bear fruit. Heat is the main stressor for most plants. Although stressing the plant artificially was an option, he suggested just waiting; it was bound to get hot at some point. And, of course, it did.

Because as unpredictable as the weather can be year to year, month to month or day to day, we know there will be periods of “unseasonable” temperatures when it is too hot or too cold. There will be excessive rainfall and periods of drought. There will be storms. We just don’t know when.

As humans, we strive to insulate ourselves from these unpleasant situations. We have built ourselves protective homes; heating and a/c to moderate the temperature; comfy beds and chairs; TVs, PCs, i10s – escape on demand. But my garden is not that protected. My plants are dealing with the weather head on.

And the peppers are thriving.

My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

Maybe we only produce fruit when we are “stressed,” when we are facing trials. Of course, it takes much less heat to stress a tomato plant than it does to stress a pepper plant, but it still takes some.

And who knows if my pepper plants are really “loving” this heat? They may not enjoy the stressful situation that encourages their fruit production. They may even resent being put in such a situation. But their fruit is a beautiful thing.

… knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us. Romans 5:3-5

Do I love being in the situations that make me bear fruit? Can I show patience if I am never frustrated? Am I showing love and kindness if I only spend time with people I like? Will I bear the fruit of gentleness if nothing angers me?

Maybe we, like the plants, need some stress, need the heat of the summer to bear our fruit.

Maybe that heat reveals if we are bearing the fruit of the Spirit or the fruit of our own selfish desires.

How am I reacting to the stress, to the heat? Because this has already been a very hot summer. This has already been a very stressful summer. And not just for my garden.

Just turn on the news for 15 minutes.

Am I bearing fruit? Am I bearing the Spirit’s fruit? Are you?

As a gardener, I look forward to the heat of the summer. The heat makes the plants produce the fruit I want.

I admit I rarely look forward to the heat and stress in my life. I rarely “consider it joy.” And yet, if it makes me produce that fruit, isn’t it a good thing?

And don’t forget that in order to survive and thrive in high heat, plants need even more water; and we need even more prayer.

Perhaps I will learn to welcome the situations which cause me to bear fruit, as I welcome the heat of summer.

My prayer is that you and I will bear much holy fruit this summer. Thank you for sharing your time with me.

Betsy

For in fact, the kingdom of God is among you. Luke 17:21