This time of year, Nickel and I spend so much time working in the yard. Thanks to my mother-in-law, gardening has become my favorite pastime over the last few years. It is a such a incredible way to know Him better.
every weed i pull reminds me that He is ultimately the one that chooses which plants will grow in my yard. every deadhead i pick off one of my petunias or geraniums reminds me that He is always doing that same thing to me--pruning me in order to make me more beautiful in his eyes. every aphid/squash bug i remove and then kill from my veggie plants reminds me of the sin in our lives and how it quickly it can destroy us if we do not "remove and kill it" ie. confess and repent immediately.
every time i water the rose bush, i think of how that rose bush would die w/out that nourishment, just like i would die w/out my water--His Word. and every time i spray them for Black Spot, i think of how that Black Spot is systemic in that rose bush--just like sin is systemic in mankind. That rosebush will always have black spot and mankind will always have sin. If i did not spray the roses in order to treat the Black Spot, they'd likely wither up and die. If it weren't for the Cross, which was the ultimate cure for our "black spot", we'd surely die.
i'm a sucker for vines...every time i train one of my beloved vines to grow this way or that or trim it b/c it is getting too unruly, i think of John 15 and how i'm just like one of those branches..in fact, i am one of those branches and He is that vine...and I have to remain in Him if I want to flourish and bear fruit, otherwise i will become like the dead branches i just trimmed away.
the hostas and dragons-breath sedums and Japanese Maple that are thriving right now...they've never looked more beautiful. it's because they are positioned so perfectly..they get just the right amount of shade and just the right amount of sun. and When i look at them, I'm reminded that i too, need just the right amount of light to thrive--maybe not sunlight but His light. i have to position myself in His light if i want to thrive...what an awesome reality.
the azaleas that bloom magenta and the hydrangeas that bloom lavender...i've often asked Him "Lord, why do they only bloom for 2 wks? why do we only get to enjoy their true beauty for such a short time?" then He nudges me and lets me know that if they bloomed year-round, we would take them for granted like we always do, and never appreciate their beauty. or He nudges me and lets me know that those azaleas are like Abigail --He can spend one's whole life preparing you for a ministry that will last 2 wks. and that ministry will be the legacy that one is remembered for. just like He spends a whole year preparing those azaleas for that 2-wk bloom period, which is their legacy.
i could on and on...
here a few photos from earlier in the year when everything was blooming. the peonies are always my favorite! Will post some pics of the veggie garden soon.
Love,
The Nickels
