gardening – B Is for Blessed!

New Year, New You?

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him.

Blessed is the one
who trusts in the Lord,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
Psalm 40:3-4 NIV

Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV

Weed Control!

Weeds come in endless varieties and thrive in the most extreme conditions. How is it that weeds grow with little effort when what I actually plant takes forever to grow?

Jesus illustrated a great parable in chapter thirteen in the book of Matthew. This story is about a farmer whose enemy sowed tares (weeds) among his wheat. The servants came to him and asked if they should pull up the weeds. Instead of the master saying “yes” to the servant’s request, the master says, “No, let them stay where they are.”

The servants were instructed not to gather up the weeds lest the wheat seed be uprooted with the tares. The master allowed wheat and weeds to grow together until the time of the harvest, at which time the good wheat would be separated from the weeds.

We often derail our ability to produce a good harvest because we give far too much attention to our weeds.

How many times do we uproot or abandon potential harvests because we give “weeds” our attention leaving what we “planted” to fend for itself?

Our personal weeds are often distractions. We should follow Christ’s example and put our emphasis on what we are trying to grow instead of what we are trying to kill.

Often when you strive to reach a goal that will bear good fruit, you come up against obstacles that appear out of nowhere. Have you ever had to defer your own betterment because of sudden demands of family members? Have you allowed the desire for new employment or education to die because “situations” come up?

The closer you are to reaping a harvest, the more tares you will find in your “garden.” As the potential harvest grows, so do the weeds. We must be wise and recognize when we should leave certain distractions alone! Sometimes, we just have to learn to work around them.

This may be a different approach to tending your “garden” but this may also give you a different result!

Your weeds may be irritating, but they don’t have to be deadly. Don’t allow a few weeds to kill your dreams!

Faded Flowers

“Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.” Psalms 71:9 KJV

As I was looking at the remnants of my hydrangeas, one in particular caught my eye. The flower was no longer the fresh sweet pink it had been upon blooming many weeks ago. Instead, it was faded and speckled but still it had a beauty all its own.

It made me reflect on how many times we casually toss things aside or fail to appreciate people after the “newness” has worn off. The joy and excitement of new love at its onset often fades as years wear on and relationships weather everyday routines and obligations.

We often don’t appreciate things and people in their “less than new state,” failing to recognize a different beauty that has changed from what was to what it is now. How is it that the blessings we ask God for and receive, we so can easily make the last of our priorities or quickly dismiss in search for the next new “thrill?”

The excitement of parenting quickly gives way to the responsibility and time required to do the job properly. Friendships are often neglected when the fun times are few and far between. When the butterflies of new-found love are long gone, can you appreciate the great qualities, faithfulness and reliability of your significant other?

Relationships are never perfect as they are composed of imperfect people, but often our flawed (not destructive!) relationships are more satisfying than having none at all. Too many times we stare at the flaws instead of being in awe of the perfect people for us that God has allowed in our lives.

I challenge you today to look at the people and relationships in your life with a fresh perspective. Even though things and people may not be what they once were, they may still be beautiful in new and different ways.

Appreciate the home you have as if you’d once been homeless. Appreciate the people in your life as if you almost lost them. Make a deliberate choice to appreciate the blessings you have now instead of looking back on what once was or even what can be…

View that same old job with a gratitude that it’s still there! Look at the house in need of repair not with disdain but as a place you really can call home. Your kids may not be perfect (and who is) but at least you’ve gotten them this far!

Like a car when the new shine wears off, dependability should be celebrated instead of longing for that new car smell. Love the people and things in your life for getting you where you need to go, coming along for the ride, or for simply being available and being there. Why wait until a time of loss to appreciate what you have right now?

New isn’t always better. There is more to be said for faithfulness, dependability, and long-lasting love than for the glitz and glamour of the latest and greatest whoever and whatever!

Contentment doesn’t necessarily breed complacency; it can instead allow you peace and joy for where you are now, your personal journey and the people and things you’ve been blessed with along the way.

Family, friends, good books, and wine. Some things are better with the passage of time.

“To every [thing there is] a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV

Everything Has a Purpose!

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to [His] purpose,” Romans 8:28 NKJV

I was walking toward the front of my house this morning when this visitor caught me by surprise. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t doubt there are snakes around my house. They are pretty common here in Georgia. However, I don’t usually see one lying about so casually in the middle of the day all out in the open. Where is a hawk when you need one!

My oldest son came downstairs as I was going to get a can of hornet spray (crazy, I know) and try to kill it shoo it away. Cam wants to become a vet so his first response was “let me see it!” So we stepped outside the front door and sure enough the snake is still there. It had not moved. One inch.

As I’m clinging to the can of Raid, Cam looks at me and says, “You shouldn’t kill it. They eat rats. Don’t kill it just to kill it.”

I’m proud of him yet annoyed that of all the things I’ve taught him, he chooses to remember that one tidbit as I’m thinking to myself where is that shovel?

We look a bit closer and the snake apparently has just swallowed something.

This black racer or king snake or whatever it is reminded me that the things we often like the least in life serve a valuable purpose. Some of the very hardships we would choose to do without teach us the most. It is often the painful, ugly and difficult experiences that make us better people.

For some of us it takes an illness to find out how strong we really are. Disappointment teaches us humility. Compassion is often a byproduct of pain. God often allows the “ugly” people and circumstances in our lives to bring about a better outcome. We just have to look and think beyond what we see to how God can use it.

Some people now working in their “dream jobs” never would if they hadn’t first gotten fired elsewhere. Our enemies can often push us toward our Savior and His blessings when nothing else will do it! Sometimes the very things in life that seem to push us down actually propel us forward.

Then there are other times when a frustrating inconvenience later turns out to be life-saver. The flat tire you discover before work spares you from a fatal accident. Running late because of your kids keeps you out of harm’s way. The car that was sold out from under you later turns out to be a “lemon.”

We don’t always have to understand how or why? Trusting God is enough.

Sometimes the best route is not the most direct route. Our God knows what we need and when to get us where He wants us to go. His provision in Biblical times was often unconventional and miraculous. It is no less so, today.

So, if you are plagued with doubts or a situation looks hopeless, turn to God and trust Him. God can do the impossible!

He’s just going to do it His way.

What’s in Your Garden?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

God was with Adam and Eve in Eden. Likewise, God is with me in my garden. Our Father reveals His beauty beneath the endless sky. Yet, if my earthly garden is going to grow, it requires a lot of work! My spiritual growth demands the same effort as well.

One lesson I learned from Adam and Eve is to keep snakes out of my garden. I’ve thrown moth balls, sprayed repellent and sprinkled granules enough for the entire block! But what about those “snakes” that aren’t tangible. Temptation? Envy? Greed? Apathy?

I must exert the same degree of effort spiritually to keep “snakes” from sneaking into my space. Or at the very least, kill them while they are young. It’s relatively easy to kill a baby. Something several feet long is altogether different!

Some snakes are discreet, and blend in with our surroundings. Others are colorful and easier to notice. Some are just irritants. Others are deadly. It is up to each of us to guard our personal gardens from “snakes” that deceive. I’m pretty particular about what I want in my garden. For my safety and that of my family, I must also be diligent about what I keep out!

When I neglect my garden it is soon overrun with weeds! I am amazed at how a weed can grow through concrete but the seeds I want to grow must be guarded and nurtured. The junk in life comes to us far easier than anything of value. We can allow this same junk to overrun us if we aren’t careful. When we should be plucking up what doesn’t belong, we can easily find ourselves distracted by people and things that eat up precious time. Too much social media anyone? Internet surfing?

Neglect can leave you with a mess. It is a major cause of broken relationships. Marriages suffer when spouses don’t make each other a priority. Children are hurt when they watch parents give valuable time to other people and interests, leaving them with only the scraps that remain.

It requires time to nurture what I want to grow. I spend hours watering and fertilizing what I want to bloom and remain. I am a huge fan of Miracle-Gro because I get better results when I use it. Likewise, I do better when I read my “miracle grow” which is God’s Word.

Scripture gives me faith to stand tall during adversity and persist through my trials. God’s promises give me clarity to recognize potential “snakes.” Reading what God did reminds me of what He can do!

Miracle-Gro works great, but you have to apply it often. You can’t just use it once and be done. God’s Word is effective when we continually immerse ourselves in it and allow scripture to dictate our behavior. I must apply God’s word to my daily life if I’m going to grow stronger and be fruitful.

We all have snakes and weeds to guard against that try to keep us from thriving. We can bear good fruit or allow any old pest or plague to destroy us. Gods gives us each a choice.

I may never become a “master gardener,” yet I choose to give it all that I have and do the best that I can.

What about you?

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5 NKJV

Broken!

“The LORD [is] near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” Psalms 34:18 NKJV

Yesterday we experienced very high winds where I live. Thankfully, we didn’t experience the deadly tornadoes our neighboring states endured. These pictures were taken in my yard. This pear tree was severely broken. Its gaping wound is obvious. Unlike this tree, we don’t always display our wounds. Like the tree, the harsh winds of life can potentially break us away from our Source and we too can fall away.

The fallen limb is wasting no time showing signs of decay. Its newly lush leaves are quickly dying. The same thing happens to us when we are pulled away from God. Without God, we can occupy space but not truly live. The limb dies when removed from the “body.” The same thing happens to us when we allow storms and winds to remove us from the body of Christ.

Sometimes we remove ourselves from God because of hurt inflicted by others. For many, it may be depression or other illnesses that leave them feeling ostracized and alone. Some people feel so overwhelmed that instead of running toward God for deliverance, fear or guilt sends them in the opposite direction.

This limb landed on top of my roses. They are crushed beneath its heavy weight. While this limb is no longer receiving sustenance from the tree, it is crushing the life and beauty that lies beneath it. Broken people can do that too.

Many broken people crush the hopes and dreams of others. Their wounds are so deep, they can’t remember when they were once a source of life to others. In their misery, hurt people hurt others. Many who are suffering don’t directly squash the people around them but instead attempt to block the Light that would allow others to thrive.

My roses will die if I don’t remove this limb soon. The dead weight does more damage the longer it is remains. It is not God’s desire that we break or crush those around us. In His faithfulness, God does what is necessary to protect us and others whether we like it or not.

You see, I lost another pear tree last summer. When it split (and fatally so) I knew I should prune the remaining two if they were going to survive. But I didn’t act in a timely manner when I was given the direction to do so. When we don’t do what we should, when we should, we usually suffer the consequences.

Thankfully, God prunes us to keep us from breaking! He cuts away things that we perceive as beautiful and wonderful because He can see the impending storm beyond the horizon. Without pruning, the world could pull us apart and possibly separate us from God! Without Him we can’t survive. We may be alive but we won’t thrive anymore than the dying limb across my roses.

Pruning is often painful. We rarely recognize it. We tend to analyze why when people and things we enjoy are gone. God prunes as necessary to keep us upright. God loves us and gives us grace and mercy to endure the cuts that ultimately leave us stronger, healthier and able to thrive for His Kingdom.

My healthy trees provide homes for several animals. They produce berries for the birds and ~~rats~~ squirrels to eat. They release oxygen essential for life. For our spiritual health, it is necessary that God prunes us so we not only survive but also provide for others.

We may lose a few limbs along the way. However, God prunes those who abide in Him for our own good.

Be mindful to not let broken people break you. Pray for them. Minister to them if they allow you. Recognize that every hurt isn’t about you but instead something inside the offending party. Seek discernment to recognize pain in others. There is no better way to show God’s love than to meet people in their pain.

Finally, don’t break other people when you are hurting. Sometimes we experience bad breaks. There are times when God’s pruning leaves us feeling broken. Regardless of how a wound is formed, it takes time to heal. However, our God restores and comforts those who seek Him.

With God we can move forward no matter what bad “breaks” we are forced to face.

“For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease.” Job 14:7 NKJV

Can You Stand the Rain?

“and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” Matthew 7:25 NKJV

As I type this, it is raining and has rained all day. In order that we may receive the harvest and the bounty the rains make possible, we must first be able to withstand it. Everyone loves a sunny day. I am no exception. However, rain serves a purpose. Though often wet, cold and inconvenient, it is necessary.

There is no way we can withstand the storms of life and come out better than before without the Word of God. The above passage is from the parable Jesus taught in regard to those people who hear His truths and “do them.” It is not enough that we hear, we must carry out His teachings.

God’s directives give us what is necessary to stand the storm. His teachings are often in direct contrast to our own tendencies. God teaches us to have faith, trust and even love one another as we go through storms in life not just when we enjoy the good times. Without faith in God instead of our own abilities, most of us would undoubtedly wilt under the pressure of the storm.

When the disciples faced a storm in the very presence of Jesus they were afraid and panicked. Jesus was with them and still they were afraid. Jesus silenced their storm. Yet before he silenced it, He allowed it.

The storm was an opportunity for the disciples to see the power of God at work before them. I’ve seen the greatest miracles in my darkest hours, when my personal storms raged with no relief in sight.

Our rainy days and storms will pass eventually. When we allow His presence into our lives and have faith enough to hear and obey, His Word makes our storms are bearable. We can stand the rain!

If you find yourself rained on now or even feel like you’re drowning, what are you relying on? Is it other people? Your own abilities? If you haven’t already, try God.

God puts the rain in perspective. Some people focus so intently on their storm they never get past it. Even after the rains pass, fear of another storm paralyzes them and leaves them feeling helpless, afraid and unable to move.

Yet, when we focus on our Savior instead of temporary rains, we can endure. I challenge you to turn to God and give Him whatever storms might be weighing you down. Don’t view your rainy days as if they are here to stay. Instead, view them as temporary and essential for growth and possibly a new harvest of better things to come.

The Son/sun will shine and break through the rains.

“then I will give [you] rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.” Deuteronomy 11:14 NKJV

Break Through!

“For now I will break off his yoke from you, And burst your bonds apart.” Nahum 1:13 NKJV

‘For it shall come to pass in that day,’ Says the LORD of hosts, ‘That I will break his yoke from your neck, And will burst your bonds; Foreigners shall no more enslave them.’ Jeremiah 30:8 NKJV

I spent a few days this week inspecting my yard and playing with my camera. Doing so, I came across my hostas! Hostas come in many varieties and return faithfully year after year. However, for this to happen, the hostas must first break through my very hard Georgia clay.

Like hostas, we have to push through some hard things as well. These things are as unique as each of us, yet if persevere, pray and stay with God; we can also find the warmth of the Son/sun and enter a season of growth and renewal. Not only does the hosta have to break through the cold hard ground to thrive in the spring, it must also shed some of its old dry and useless self. Hostas push away the old “bones” left over from last year making room for more life-sustaining leaves. There is a lesson in this for all of us.

The scriptures above speak of God’s promise to His people. Both prophets testify about how God will free His people. God’s Word speaks of delivering His people from enemies both physical and spiritual. God doesn’t want us to be in bondage to other people or sin.

For some of us to live our lives as God intended we need to

Break some bad habits

Break new ground…learn something new, meet new people, broaden our thinking, vision and aspirations

Break off the shackles that bind…fear, depression, doubt, regret, guilt or whatever holds you hostage

Dare to deviate from what is not working. What has God promised you? Have you asked Him for direction, discernment, revelation? Have you done the things He’s told you to? If you are waiting on God, He is probably waiting on YOU!

“Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For [it is] time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12 NKJV

Fallow in the above verse refers to land that is allowed to lie idle during the growing season. Many of us are waiting for a break through but do nothing during the growing season. How can we expect to reap a harvest if we don’t sow good seed? Our break through requires work on our part!

Reap in mercy. To reap mercy you have to sow it. If some of us were a bit more merciful and less judgmental it would allow more time to improving ourselves!

It is time to seek the Lord! Many of us continually look for the next best thing, big idea or solution to a problem; yet, if we would only seek Him we would find the answers we desire. Our God is more than able. He is more than willing.

For those of you waiting on the perfect time to take that leap of faith, obey God’s prodding or even courage to take that first step, do it anyway. Do it afraid.

You don’t have to be fearless. God rewards our faith in Him, not perfection.

Finally, I never know when my hostas are going to appear. Some years I find them in February. Other years not until May. I never know when they will break through. We don’t know when our big break will come either. Yet, I am always expecting them to appear. I dare you to expect God to do the miraculous with you and through you.

Break out of what was and step into what can be.

Life is waiting. Time will not.

“A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;” Ecclesiastes 3:3 NKJV

Beauty for Ashes!

“To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified,” Isaiah 61:3 NKJV

Isaiah 61 is probably one of the most comforting chapters in the Bible. The very first verse begins with good news preaching “good tidings to the poor,” speaks of “heal the broken-hearted,” and proclaims “liberty to the captives.”

We have all at one time or another been in need of good tidings, healing or freedom from bondage. This chapter provides hope of change or rather an exchange of what we have for what our God is willing to give us instead.

God’s love for us allows us the opportunity to give Him those things that are painful and receive from Him beauty, joy and relief from oppression. These things He gives to us not only for our good, but that He may be glorified in the process.

We all suffer wounds along our way. We have losses and people we mourn. There are things we’ve held dear that have been reduced to nothing. We’ve all felt overcome by fear, doubts, and even the duties of daily life. But we don’t have to stay bound by any of this!

The cherry tree pictured below has been wounded. The gouge in the trunk was not created by nature. So great a wound could have killed it. Some of the things we experience can kill us too.
But God! This damaged tree yet blooms! And we can too!

We can rise up and above our losses, regrets and missteps! God enables us through the anointing and blessing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus died for us that we may be freed from the pain and suffering sin brings. When we choose Him, He exchanges what we have for what can be.

Choosing God allows us to be planted and restored as His people; strong, beautiful and useful. We have a purpose to serve!

If you are feeling wounded, don’t give up! Instead, give yourself over to God. He can take what is left for dead and give new life! He restores us! He can even equip us to restore others! God can take our pitiful selves and through us to do the miraculous!

God’s blessings aren’t always “in your face.” His blessings often start small and grow. Like a seed, God’s blessings can evolve into more than we can even imagine. What is at first naked to the eye can develop into something so large there is no doubt God has caused it to thrive and prosper.

Isaiah preached of what was to come.

The God Isaiah spoke of is available to us now. Accessible. Ever present. Healer. Redeemer.

The key to receiving the beauty of God is having faith in not only what He has done but in what He can do for us. Now.

“And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.” Psalms 90:17 NKJV

Flaws and All!

“Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God,” Luke 3:5-6 NKJV

The Cherry trees pictured above are mostly recognized for their soft fragrant blooms. However, what I find most fascinating about these trees is not their short lived blooms but rather their imperfect trunks. Even the limbs that spread out into pink and white canopies grow irregular and seemingly malformed.

I think their true beauty stems from the fact that their rough and ill-shaped limbs can still produce something so delicate and beautiful. Only God can take what is rough and crooked and turn it into something magnificent and breathtaking. The transformation of these trees from something sinister looking into what they are now illustrates how our Father can do the same with us.

You see, I believe that what God does for these trees, He can do on a continual basis for you and me. Even when we have deviated from the proper path, God can still allow us to flourish, bloom and even glorify Him.

Our twists and turns often take us away from the narrow path that leads to Him. Even our best efforts to be spiritual, church going, or however you choose to commune with God ultimately fall short in developing us into the people we can be. Only God can make us righteous, a blessing to others and develop us into people who look outward instead of inward.

God uses our “detours” away from Him to define and build our character. And sometimes isn’t always about the choices we make as it is how we react to the twists and turns life throws our way.

Sometimes we do get where we want to go, just not when or how we expected to get there. Our experiences often become a reference from which we change. Hopefully, we become compassionate. Educated. Humble. Not bitter, mean or hopeless.

Recognizing our faults and weaknesses makes us wiser because we learn we can’t do it ourselves. We need Him. God is not an accessory in our lives but a vital necessity!

Only He can make our crooked places straight. Flaws and all, God can use us; we can glorify Him!

We just have to remember to not let the twists and turns obscure the bigger picture. He does love us. He wants us to flourish, blossom and grow…nearer to Him. Because our God wants the absolute best for us. And that just happens to be Him.

Though less than perfect, these trees never stop reaching up toward the Heavens.

And neither should we.