I hope you will close your eyes and listen to the old hymn I have included in my blog. This is my favorite of hymns and speaks to my heart. Every time the Open Range Band plays it at church, I tear up.
In my garden there is a large place for sentiment.
My garden of flowers is also my garden
of thoughts and dreams.
The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers,
and the dreams are as beautiful.
~Abram Urban
You know one of the things God did in Creation was plant a garden. Then, he added man to care for it. I was thinking about this the other day as I was sitting in the midst of heavenly scented roses. I wondered why a garden was so important to the Lord and why in the world was man's first job to tend a garden?? My own garden has supplied answers.
In every gardener there is a child who believes in The Seed Fairy.
~Robert Brault
I have enjoyed gardening ever since the early 1990's. I'd commissioned a landscaping company to create a garden for me alongside my zero lot home. I watched in amazement at how they built this small wonderland from a blank space of dirt. The boss man taught me so much and I was hooked. I learned from the best of the best. When I think about it, I've always admired people who are at the top of their game ~ those that have put in those 10,000 hours of work to turn an interest into greatness.
My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made
while learning to see things from the plant's point of view.
~H. Fred Dale
The beginning of Miss Dottie's gardens
My gardens have been living works in progress. Sadly, I've never lived anywhere long enough to see my own gardens mature but now? I am seeing plants mature and my vision come to fruition. I began to work in my garden here 5 years ago. I started by thinking I would just built a small garden next to the back wall of the house. I soon learned that what I started with wasn't going to work ~ plants got moved to other areas. Finally, it is now finished and plants/trees are happy.
God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done.
~Author Unknown
God wanted man to tend the garden because the garden is a living teacher. It starts with a vision, a creation and evolves over time. Without fertilization and water, it withers and dies of neglect. Our jobs, our relationships, whatever we do, are like that. Not all plants grow and flourish in the same soil and neither do we. Some of us require more watering and attention than others. Some need more sun; others need shade. Some of us are brightly colored; others soft and shy. For sure, it takes all things beautiful to create a mysterious wonderful garden. In the workplace, home, or at church, each "flower" comes together to make a business, relationship, or church complete. God loves variety!!
My garden is the place where you, my Readers, are thought about and prayed for. It is the place I go when I feel troubled and dirty from the nastiness of the world. So often I look down at my muddy feet and wash them off thinking about how grateful I am when Jesus washed me clean at Calvary. My garden is the place where my furry kids romp and play without fear of being hurt. I often gather them all up and we rest in the hammock under the trees. Peace...
Today, I am praying for many of you. Three special ladies are going through mastectomies this week and another is fighting brain cancer. Another friend has been taken off life support. I'm grateful for Facebook because it allows me to keep abreast of what's going on. What strength it takes to take on that dreaded diagnosis. There are those of you who are experiencing the breakup of relationships, wondering if you should commit to a marriage, or have children who are out of control. It's been several days now that Tom has been missing ~ where is he Father? May Dr Jesus hold you in the palm of his hand granting you that extra measure of hope, strength, courage, and wellness. I pray for those experiencing joy and who are in the best days of their lives. Savor those times for there will always be peaks and valleys. I pray for those who are caretakers ~ those who care from the bottom of their hearts and don't think of it as a burden. Once I was young and the world was my oyster. Oh to have had the wisdom that I have now... He touched me and motioned me to follow Him. I did and that has made all the difference. Miss Dottie
PS What is life? We are born and we die and in between those times, we do the best we can to leave a legacy of love, hope, and a fulfilling of God's purpose for our time on earth. What is courage? I like what John Wayne said, "Courage is being scared to death ... and saddling up anyway."
No comments:
Post a Comment