May Day Reflections

May 1, 2013

From my garden to yours, sending you some pretty May blooms to wish you a very Happy May Day!!

We are supposed to get another cold snap starting about noon on into tomorrow.  I watered my gardens good yesterday so everything should be okay.  Everything has a nice blanket of mulch to keep them stay cool in the heat and warm in times when it's cold.

Am I the only one who remembers May Baskets and delivering them to friends?  My mom helped me make the baskets filling them with mints.  What a fun memory.  Sometimes the simpleness of my growing up years comforts me in so many ways.  Hand-made was a way of life.  My roots go deep into the soil of hard work, simplicity, and faith.  When I veer off that path, I open myself up to uncertainty, anxiety, and a feeling of being lost.  Not good.

Our society has a tendency to be profit-oriented, where everything is measured according to results.  I can get more and more caught up in that whirl of every day busyness.  I'm as guilty as the next person when it comes to filling my day to overflowing.  When I came to the South, I found myself staring at the folks sitting under trees chatting and enjoying their "iced tea."  Now, I find myself joining them ~~ sitting under a tree joining in on those times of connecting with nature, family, and friends.  I guess the southern way of life has rubbed off (somewhat) on me!

Michael tells me that I am a type "A" person.  If you're saying that I live with a constant sense of urgency ~~ if you're saying that I become impatient with delays and unproductive time, keep a tight schedule, and try to do more than one thing at a time, such as reading while eating or watching television, I would say that's me.  HOWEVER, there is another side of me that takes center stage.  I love competition but the fun is in the competing not winning.  I've always been quite creative exploring ideas and concepts.  A perfect example was turning our dilapidated garage into a wonderful Woman Cave cottage.  I need quiet, down time to pray, read, reflect, and think about the outer and inner world I live in.  I've been told I'm a complex person.  I think that's a true assessment.

I think without my quiet times with the Lord, I would be an unsettled maniac.  Each day I pick a verse and think about it's place in my own life.  The Bible verse I am meditating on today is:  "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect..."~~1 Peter 3:15

If I am part Type A and part Type B how can I share, especially in situations hostile to faith?  When I wake up in the morning, I submit my heart to Jesus as Lord of my life.  I ask him to make his light shine through me and guide my steps.  I am not gifted in evangelism so speaking outward as a preacher standing on a street corner is not my thing.  My way is to live my life in such a way that others ask me what the reason is for my joy and peace.  I can tell them the reason for my transformation and the spirit that lives within me.  I was so very lost in the cesspool of life and now ... well, I am whole.  The best thing is that I can accept myself as a perfect creation knowing that I don't have to fit a certain pattern.

I hope that you, my Readers, are basking in the sunshine of a God who loves you unconditionally.  He was, He is, and He always will be.  You can take that to the bank!!

Always know that you are loved and prayed for ... YA YOU!!

Miss Dottie

PS  This May Day let's remember what Lindley Karstens wrote:  "Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity."  I like that.  AND, with that note, I'm going to cut some Queen Elizabeth Roses and fix a beautiful bouquet.  Enjoy your day!  We'll talk again soon and I'll bring you up to date on our new rescue dog, Kennedy.