Are You Having a Strong Pepper Summer?
I don’t know about you but it’s been a hot, rainy summer down here in Tennessee. As I’ve shared in previous blog posts here and here, I love hot sauce. Hot sauce needs hot peppers and between the rain and critters, it has not been a strong hot pepper summer in our garden.
When the heat skyrockets and the hungry pests arrive, some plants thrive while others struggle. That struggle is real. We planted so many peppers and so far, I’ve only harvested a few habaneros. The rest of my hot peppers seemed to have shriveled, been chewed down to nothing or even dragged out of the garden entirely. This pepper debacle got me thinking. When our lives are turned up to 100 degrees, how strong are our roots? I know I’m not a plant expert but I am certain that even during hot periods, a plant with strong roots can withstand the intense season.
Coming in Hot in 2026
This year has had some tough times for us and in the last few weeks in particular for me. I know that my strong roots have helped me withstand the dawg days of summer, which in this season has looked like an unplanned surgery and recovery. I’ve had a number of different, unexpected changes happen this year, some of which has contributed to the post coming out so much later than planned (case in point- Kristin asked me to write for the blog back in July, it’s now mid-August).
Where Strong Roots Start
Before we jump into how our garden and heat it’s important to know what and how we are rooted in. In Jeremiah 17, we’re given this beautiful picture of a tree planted by water. It’s steady, rooted, unshaken by the changing seasons. God doesn’t just describe the tree; He invites us to see ourselves in it. I hope I am that kind of tree. I want to be. Can I grow my kids to be that kind of tree?
Verse 7 says, “The person who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed.” It’s such a simple sentence, but it carries a whole world of meaning. Trust isn’t just believing God exists. It’s planting your whole life in Him the way a tree sinks its roots deep into the soil. It’s choosing to draw strength, nourishment, and stability from Him day after day. Just like the tree, our strength comes from him and not someone or something else.
Strong Roots, Strong Faith
When you read the Old Testament and some of the minor prophets, you can start to see how they fit into the overall story of scripture and even your personal story. Jeremiah says that when the heat comes, and it always comes, the tree doesn’t panic. It doesn’t shrivel. It doesn’t start scrambling for a new source of water. Its roots already know where to go. It keeps bearing fruit because its life is anchored somewhere deeper than the whims of the weather.
I feel like life works the same way. When everything is easy, trusting God feels natural, simple and something that is attainable. The breezes are cool, the soil is moist, and our faith feels strong. But when that heat shows up, on comes the pressure, the stress, the disappointment, the uncertainty. That’s when we discover what our roots have actually been growing in. Did your roots grow into your own strength and ability or did they grow in the soil of faith? Heat reveals where we place our hope. It exposes whether our confidence is truly in the Lord and who he is or whether it’s buried in something else.
Strong Encouragement
The first time I read this verse I felt like I was listening to an older gentleman quietly scolding me. Upon further review, Jeremiah isn’t scolding us; he’s inviting us. He’s saying, You can be that tree. You can be rooted in a source that doesn’t dry up. You can face seasons of heat without fear. You can flourish even when life feels harsh, because your roots aren’t in circumstances, they’re in God Himself.
Final Thoughts
While watering my garden in the middle of another hot Tennessee summer, I’m reminded that growth doesn’t stop just because conditions become difficult. In fact, some of the strongest plants are the ones that have learned to survive the heat. God works the same way in us. The seasons that leave us tired, discouraged, or feeling like we’ve failed are often the very seasons He’s using to deepen our roots. If we stay connected to Him, the harvest will come in His perfect time. Go out in the garden or take a walk in the woods. Take a close look at the roots of various plants and note how they grow. Read your bible, talk with God (which involves listening), sing songs to praise God and remind yourself of who he is. Like water soaking into the garden, tending your faith in these ways helps those roots grow deep and encourages those around you to do the same.
What has God been growing in you during this season of heat?
