Remember when you had to write those compare and contrast essays in school? Three points for this, two points for that, proper “proof” of your argument for or against, hamburger paragraphs, thesis statement and conclusion…blah blah blah. My kids are suffering through that experience right now so I’m being blessed with the feedback. This is not one of those essays, however. It is a post about comparing and contrasting though… and what I am musing about this week.

This lockdown world has forced many of us to branch out into the online world and buy from a pre-described list of products. Myself included. And call me old fashioned, but I still like to look and feel and taste and smell the stuff I am about to purchase. A stock photo and short blurb just doesn’t cut it sometimes… especially if the “thing” is new to you. So, here’s the story:

In great hopes to get a jump start on our Urban Garden, and to save a little cash, and at the prompting of so many better-than-me-gardener posts, I decided to start seeds in the basement under a “grow-light”. Which conjured up all kinds of grow-op images of secret marijuana plantations concealed in my basement under the devise of jumping into the cannabis free market and raising someone’s stock prices… but, I digress. Apparently starting seedlings requires light and heat and “stable” conditions… hence the grow light.

Which thus begins my search and comparison… online. I knew what I wanted: The Sunblaster 1600… complete with trays… the large size, not the micro garden for mere herbs… I need light for beefsteak tomatoes, baby, and maybe watermelon… but where would be the least expensive place to find it? Without crazy shipping costs? So began my compare and contrast adventure. Which is hard, because, as I mentioned, stock photos and small descriptions don’t always give you the information that you want. Dimensions were listed in both inches and centimeters, some sites included shipping, some could be picked up curbside, some had different product numbers… How is a girl to compare apples to apples when you’ve got granny smith vs. gala??!

It takes some investigating… and asking questions, and good old pen and paper lists and conversions. You will be happy to know that the Sunblaster 1600 …200 version… is now sitting on my counter ready for set up! And the mighty Amazon was not the best deal in town (in case you wanted to know). I’ll keep you posted on the seedling development.

So what should be the take home from my little adventure? Is it good to test, compare and contrast? In the case of a large purchase, then yes, this is a wise practice. In the case of school essays? Yes, you have to do those, too. What about your place of worship? Or how you worship? Or dare I say who you worship? Now, I don’t want to tread on thin ice here, I haven’t really studied “testing”… but I do think we need to be diligent in asking questions… and doing our research so we are comparing apples to apples. Does your church promote and adhere to Biblical principles? Is it God focused or leader focused? Will it waiver with the times or stay steadfast to the standards God lays out for us? Do they care about people because God cares about people or do they just want numbers in the pews… or in the offering plate?

It’s not easy. It “looks good online” doesn’t always translate to the real product when it arrives on your doorstep. And I think it is okay to question… and pray about it! God knows where you need to be… and He will help you get there! Don’t be fooled by flashy promotions and short blurbs… if you want to grow the proper fruit… you need the proper light! Go ahead, do your research and compare and contrast. Soon, if your choices are right, you will see the seeds begin to sprout and then grow strong and mighty in the full soil of God’s true kingdom!