Environment is Everything

Making wine is such a beautiful and unique process. Grape seeds are chosen, planted, and then harvested and then the wine-making process can begin. Unfortunately, making wine is not that easy though. Grape seeds are not all alike. Each type yields a specific grape and each grape offers a unique flavor. Wine makers must know their variety of grapes in order to have a chance at making the wine they have envisioned. Even more important than the seed though, is the environment. Certain grape seed varieties do better in particular environments than others do; in fact, it is difficult, if not impossible, to force some types of grape seeds to grow fruitfully in the wrong environment. Sunlight, drainage, slope, and weather can all have an impact as well.

We are not unlike the grape seeds used in making wine. Our maker knows each one of us intimately. Of course, He knows which environments should be avoided at all costs and regularly teaches His children to stay away from those lifestyles and areas. Beyond that though, He knows which environments we will thrive in and which will cause stunted growth. There are many healthy places in the world, locations where we can be surrounded by good people doing great things. But, they may not be the right environment for us.

So, how do we know? It’s not as if God plants us in the ground and instructs us not to move. We have free will and the option to choose where we go, who we hang out with, and the groups with which we choose to associate. How do we avoid choosing one that is not the best for us? We pray – regularly. On a daily basis, we reach out to God and build a relationship with Him, leaning on His understanding and allowing Him to guide us. Only then can we ensure we are in the right place.