I grew up and still live on the countryside. It is really quiet and has a lot of cows and fresh air.

Since I was a little girl I always knew when it would rain. The farmer’s work always was and still is an indicator for it.

The special smell in the air – slurry. A field covered with slurry. To nourish the ground with fresh grose poop.

The same procedure happened in my life. My farmer put slurry on me so that my ground could be nourished and my plants could grow. It first smelled bad and I could barely take a look at my surrounding because of all the dust on me.

What you feel and others ignore or just don’t see

I am talking about a process God took me through which wasn’t very nice, good looking or comfortable. This is “the slurry process”. God saw ground which needed some nourishment. The stinky slurry. Slurry isn’t very attractive and no one else would want to have it as well. That is why they just ignored it. (They ignored the process, not me.) Same as you ignore a field with fresh slurry on it. You just walk by, hold your nose and are happy when you are past it. You don’t want to deal with it.

When others start to see

After the rain has watered the field and the sun has done it’s job, the field starts to grow. You first see tiny bits of the plants. If you don’t walk by for some weeks you recognize a bigger growth. At some point it even might be bigger then a field which wasn’t covered with slurry.

The picture I want to give is the following:

The “Slurry process”might be frustrating, hard, testing and challenging. Not many are interested in having the same process. The period which comes after is far more attractive. People will recognize the field and want the same. They forget what has been there earlier.

What others don’t see but God does

I want to encourage you to trust God when everything around looks like dust and the work you are doing isn’t recognized. The woman you helped didn’t even realize what you have done for her. The kids you are teaching don’t know all the effort you put into your work. Be content with what God gave you for this time and make the best out of it. He sees your work, effort and even the hurt. He might put some more slurry on you – but it will help you to grow. It takes its time. It is worth persevering beneath the slurry.

What everyone sees but forgets what they didn’t see

When your plants start to grow, don’t get confused by people who suddenly might recognize them. Not everyone will like what they are seeing, well, that is okay. The plants are growing for the farmer and he knows how to distribute the harvest.

The dust or slurry which once covered my ground has helped me grow. That is why I trust under the dust.