About the Author

Jennifer Dukes Lee is the author of several books, including Growing Slow. She and her husband live on the family farm, raising crops, pigs, and two humans. She’s a fan of dark chocolate, emojis, eighties music, bright lipstick, and Netflix binges. She wants to live life in such a way...

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
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(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
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  1. Yes, farmers (and this gardener!) get faith lessons standing under God’s sky and wondering.
    Somehow it’s easier for me to accept crop failure in the eggplant patch than the disappointments that come in other areas, but I know God uses hard times like sandpaper.
    Grateful for your voice, Jennifer. Trusting for better days ahead for your farmer.

    • love the comment about sandpaper.i see that he roughs off my edges in times of sadness and that each hardship I faced I changed into a better person .

    • It’s been such a strain in our region because farming is more than a hobby; it the livelihood of so many people we love. It’s been an incredible hardship. This spring, the farmer hotline was ringing off the hook. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Sandpaper, indeed.

  2. What a wonderful, reassuring reminder that God gives us the blessed gift of Hope. And that in hard times, He uses those challenges to teach us and grow our Faith. Thank you for your encouraging Hope filled words, Jennifer. XOXO

  3. Thanks Jennifer! Your words of hope have given me joy in my hidden desert place of my heart where I’ve lost hope in believing that reconciliation of my children will ever happen between them
    As for me I always have hope! Yes that verse will be planted in this desert heart and revival will begin.. again.. it’s a good thing and I will wait on the Lord, it’s His time and it’s His will.. blessings to and through you

  4. It is the hope of God that keeps me going day after day. It is the balm for my soul and the motivation for my heart when my own field looks empty. Thank you for sharing hope. It seems so simple and truly it is when we release our anxiety to God.

  5. Jennifer, this was perfect for me this morning. I will scatter what I’m able, where I’m able, and I will give it 100%, even when the work looks like a fraction of my effort – because this is practical hope. ❤

  6. Good morning Jennifer,
    Thank you for the words of encouragement as like myself and my family, many of us are experiencing some pretty rought patches.
    Especially those hit so hard by hurrican Dorian.
    Let’s pray that God will be there spiritually and physically.
    Blessings, Maggie

  7. Jennifer,

    This reminds me of the story of Ruth. Naomi lost her two sons & husband. But God gave her hope in daughter in law Ruth. She didn’t realize it at first. Ruth came back with her helped her get food. Before you know it Naomi has a grand son in the line of Jesus. God’s timing isn’t ours. We must hope. Keep on trying, praying, but never despairing. We must do our part by planting the seeds-even if all we can do is pray. Believing with all your heart that God is hearing you & will answer that prayer in His perfect timing. He expects us to trust & hope in Him alone. Praying for a better crop next year.

    Blessings 🙂

  8. You are a gifted writer. The imagery is beautiful and memorable. I find great comfort in this message. Keep writing!

  9. Jennifer, thank you so much for these words. They hold much hope and encouragement for me today as I long to keep moving forward with my writing and find the pace at which I can do that limited by chronic illness.

  10. Thank you Jennifer for putting words to our past and present hardships. I’ve been learning to live life in the good and not so good times. Learning to trust God with it all, has been an ongoing process. When times are “abundant”, we take it for granted and when we’ve lost it all, we stand and ask, where are you God?
    As we are now rebuilding our lives, or should I say, as God rebuilds our lives, I’m seeing so distinctly how He has always been there, all along. He has given me Hope and is helping me dream again after a very long drought. ✝️ God bless!

  11. Jennifer – love the analogies I’m reading today all over the blogosphere! I thought of your Scott often as we drove across this great land of ours this summer on our 5-week Alaskan road trip. I wondered if he had ever gotten to plant seed. Today’s post answers the question. We crossed part of Iowa, way south – but if it had been northwest? I was going to pull in your driveway and hug your neck! Seriously. We are the people of HOPE. And, I’ve said it at least 499 times, #hopechangeseverything

  12. I loved your write up ! I understand not being in control of life…just when people think they have it all understood then job loss comes , unexpected divorce or a death. life is such a roller coaster ride but thank goodness we have God to hold onto. my husband ripped out his arm muscles many years ago and faced surgery after surgery. one company simply fired him because he was getting up there and not a young 20 yr old..so ups and downs as we travel forward in life. I know that God loves us and always carries us..

  13. Thank you for your voice of hope, Jennifer. You KNOW what it’s like, struggling to remain faithful and courageous in spite of the evidence. My guess is the harvest of your encouraging words is much greater than the eye can see.

  14. Thank you sp much, the seeds of encouragement you were sowing this morning, has taken root in my heart.
    Be blessed,

  15. Praise God . Thank you for this, Jennifer. My heart is being encouraged, my mind, strengthened, and my spirit is given hope. God bless you in your writing ministry and may God prosper your farm – – they are being used by God as tremendous avenues to bless a lot of people, like me. — Knel, from Manila, Philippines

  16. Jennifer, thank you!!

    This really spoke to a tender spot in my heart right now… There’s a family relationship that has fallen apart over the past few months, and I can totally see the enemy’s hand in it. I have tried to bridge the gap, extending love, grace and forgiveness. But it has been met with a wall. It is so hard for this recovering people-pleaser to know that conflict is unresolved. I can’t “get to that part of the field.” They won’t let me.

    BUT GOD CAN. And so I’ll wait and pray. I’ll trust the Holy Spirit to resurrect dead hearts and bring about His harvest. Thank you for your words. Today they were a needed balm for my soul.

    I’m with you in trusting God for the next season… 🙂

    Becky

  17. Good Morning Jennifer,
    Lovely post to remind us to keep the faith and have hope, no matter what is happening in our lives. I live in an area in southwestern Ontario, Canada where numerous farmers faced the same issues that your husband has gone through this season. Many were able to eventually plant, just in time, but others have “holes” where it was too wet, too long.
    Praying for farmers here in North America and around the world that there efforts will be bountiful.

    I love how your imagery of a “field” can apply to any area of life where “planting” and “sowing” can take place.

    Thanks and blessings, Sandy

  18. Praying for the farmers and their families. Thank you for your labors.

    Thank you for this beautiful article. I have a few fields that I am waiting to enter. In the meantime, I am planting watering, and reaping elsewhere. As an example, my health flipped (and flips) my known world upside down. I had to enter new fields of ministry than the ones I had always known and many had to be left behind. I published a book and actually talk about fields and yokes and entering the fields where God is working rather than the ones I wanted to be in or thought I should be in. Our willingness to follow God’s seasons brings fruit. I am astounded at what He is doing. Things that could have happened no other way and at no other time are happening. What I thought was lost was only being re-purposed. And what I never knew existed became my reality. All for Him and for His glory.