I love getting my hands in the dirt, checking the progress, sometimes daily, just waiting for the beautiful new sprouts to greet me. I love going to ANY store that sells flowers and I absolutely can't resist buying something. To me, there is something therapeutic about a garden.
My husband and I have talked about downsizing but I don't want to leave my yard. As I've said in other posts, I'm very sentimental so you can feel my pain in leaving rose bushes given to me by my children or irises from a homeowner on work I did after Hurricane Katrina. Can you imagine the horror when the new owners come to occupy my home and the entire yard has been dug up and hauled away?!!! May it never be!To some, it may be just a yard, but to me it's the product of years of labor. When I was sad or troubled I would dig and plant or when I was stressed I would pull weeds...and pray. We all need an outlet, a way to unwind, let things go, and this is mine.
God has a way of pruning us...cutting us back...taking off dead branches. He'll remove the clutter and the rotten stuff out of our lives to make us into a beautiful, growing vessel that He can use. If a plant isn't cut back, it will eventually wither, look unhealthy or even die. But, if it's pruned regularly it can be the most beautiful thing. The same is true of us spiritually, we must search our hearts regularly and remove the clutter...prune away the rotten garbage that we've allowed to accumulate. Psalm 139:23-24 says Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. NIV
Sometimes pruning hurts, but it's always for our good. I would much rather go through it and come out a beautiful vessel to be used in the hands of a Master Gardener. Wouldn't you?Now I do think there must be some chore in the garden that's calling my name.
Happy Spring,
Cindy
Oh Cindy, I love that you used both pictures of that rose bush. I was laughing while reading because we have talked about this commonality. I actually did go back to a house and dig up my aunt Glenda's yellow daylily. I was not about to leave those behind. I'll do it again if I ever move. I check my perennials every day, and I can't wait to see what it coming up in your yard today.
ReplyDeleteKaty, we are so much alike! I want to come to your yard sometime. I'll just bet it's gorgeous!! If only I could just write and work in my yard, life would be perfect!!
ReplyDelete