Last updated on November 16, 2025
The Collapsing Strawberry Bed Foundation
Recently, I planted several strawberry plants in an above-ground cedar planter. Strawberry plants can survive the winter months in North-Central Florida, where I live, because the winters are mild. And strawberries are perennials, so I planned to keep them for the next few years if I took care of them.
I planted them in rich, well-watered soil and added a little fertilizer. Soon, they sent out new shoots, and I was thrilled. Then I noticed some crevasses around some of the plants. I blamed the squirrels for trying to dig up my strawberry plants. They have dug up just about everything I’ve planted, so I quickly accused them of being the culprit. So I kept adding soil, but every day, the deep crevasses came back, each time even worse.
Discovering the Real Problem
Then I looked underneath the bed, and I noticed something I had failed to see before: The bottom of my above-ground bed had collapsed. The wooden planks holding the strawberries inside the container lay in a heap underneath the bed. The only thing keeping my plants in the cedar bed was the cover I lined the cedar with to give the wood protection from the wet soil.
I tried to force the wooden planks back into place, which was impossible. The soil was too heavy, and I wasn’t strong enough to get even one plank back in place. I called my handyman, who has worked on various projects around my house for many years. After looking at the near collapse of my strawberry bed, he said, “This needs to be rebuilt. You will need to remove all the soil, and I will need to make it more secure. You put too much soil in the bed, and you need to empty it and start over.”
I also needed to do it quickly if I wanted to save my strawberry plants.
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders
I got to thinking about the parable that Jesus gave us in Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT): “24 Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
I thought about the sinking holes where my plants clung to life. Are they not like the challenges we face in our faith? If we don’t stay close to the Lord, our faith will suffer. Christians need a firm foundation, and my faith is the outpouring of God’s handiwork in my life.
Good Intentions Aren’t Enough
We can have the best intentions and do everything well, but if we start with a poor foundation, then our best is doomed. In my case, with the strawberry plants, my failure was ignorance. I wasn’t aware that I was using too much soil. I didn’t think about the container’s limitations. I just saw the goal and what I needed to do to attain it. However, I didn’t know about weight limitations.
I can remember many times when I’ve had a bright idea, only to discover that, as I began my work, I didn’t have what I needed to finish it. I had to stop, analyze, get tools I didn’t have, or re-evaluate because I didn’t plan properly.
Faith is similar. We must constantly stay in the Word so that when troubles come, we have a firm foundation from which to draw. Daily prayer and recognizing our limitations in ability, knowledge, and resources are paramount. And, perhaps for me, recognizing my limitations is essential so that I rely on God for my inadequacies.
James Gets Sick
This week, my cat, James, got sick and threw up several times. I took him to the urgent pet center to find out what was wrong. He’s 18, and, of course, I had to face the fact that he is old and this might not be fixable. Uncertainty for me is stressful. It’s in those times I call on the Lord to help me.
Following two days of blood tests and a sonogram, the vet believes it’s type 2 diabetes. James’ kidneys are still working well for such an old cat, and we are hoping a new treatment using pills instead of diabetic shots will keep him in good standing for a while longer, perhaps a year or more.
I sat in the waiting room alone while they performed a sonogram in an adjoining room. I imagined James was having fits as they were doing the exam. However, the assistant later told me how much he enjoyed the sonogram.
“He loved his stomach massage, stretching out his legs and leaning his head back for maximum rubdown”—while I sat in the waiting room, fretting over his “suffering.”
A Divine Appointment in the Waiting Room
But, even in that moment, God was teaching me. A young couple came in with a dog whose hind legs didn’t work. They put the animal in a wagon to take him to the car. I asked the woman what happened to his legs, and she said, “Oh, we don’t know what happened. We adopted him from the humane society just like he is.”
As we talked, I discovered they had nine dogs, all rescued, and despite the dog’s physical limitations, she said he kept up with the rest of the pack just as if his legs worked. The happy dog preferred dragging his hind legs rather than using wheels.
She offered to pray with me, which I gladly accepted. God lifted my worried heart, and I felt invigorated. Does God not have a way of sending people into our lives just when we need that little bit of encouragement?
Where do we start? We start with a firm foundation. Jesus used parables to teach life lessons. Whether we are working in the yard or taking care of our beloved pets, a strong foundation in the Lord helps to get us where God wants us to go. He will provide for us in times of need if we call on Him. Jesus said in John 16:33 (NIV): “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
God Provides the Perfect Specialist
We won’t know for a couple of weeks if this treatment works, but I am optimistic. God showed me which vet to go to after I called several in the area to see if they carried the treatment protocol that the emergency vet recommended.
As it turns out, the vet who had the medicine is a referral vet for dogs and cats with diabetes. The veterinarian is a type 1 diabetic herself, and diabetes is her specialty. I did not know that when I set up the appointment. Pet owners come to her even outside of Gainesville so she can care for their diabetic dog or cat. So, not only did God lift my spirits in the waiting room, but He gave me the best vet in the area for diabetes.
Building on Bedrock
When God does little miracles, be sure and thank Him for His goodness. I share this story to encourage you. God loves you and will provide for your needs. Just make sure you have a strong foundation so that when trouble comes or unforeseen challenges arise, your ground will hold and you will see Jesus in your midst—working out your salvation for His glory.
To read another devotional by Lorilyn, “Bloom Where God Plants You,” click here.
To purchase Lorilyn’s devotional book, Am I Okay, God? on Amazon, click here.
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