Extreme Joy

Extreme Joy

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Lessons from my Garden

I thought she was dying. Her leaves were turning yellow and dropping and the showy white flowers that once adorned her with beauty were thinning in the hot summer sun. Try as I did to supply her with food and water, she wasn't fairing well. I had heard she was one of the toughest in her category and had decided to give her a try in containers on my deck.  As a person who pulls for the underdog I didn't want to give up on my "Snow Princess" Alyssum when she stopped producing the snowing white flowers.  With all the talk about heat tolerance, beauty, and long lasting color from spring to fall, I had to give her every opportunity to live up to the billing.

Summer moved into fall, the hot temperatures gave way to cooler temps and I began to see a difference in my plant. Her leaves greened up and once again she was covered with snowy white blooms that gave her the descriptive name she carried. By October my "Snow Princess" was as beautiful as she was in the spring. I was so thankful that I didn't give up on her. . . she became the delight of my fall garden.

My name isn't "Snow Princess" and I don't grace a deck with lovely white flowers, but I do find myself going through hot, dry spells in which I don't feel like I am being productive or living up to my billing -- that God loves me, has a plan for me, and delights in me. The Holy Spirit faithfully continues to feed and water me through the drought times until once again I bloom and flower like God created me to do. I am so glad that He pulls for underdogs and never gives up on me. But most of all I take extreme joy in knowing I'm the delight of His garden. 

 

3 comments:

  1. What a blessing, Beth! The way you express what is in your heart is evident to me you are growing as a person and as a writer. God be praised!

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  2. Thank you for showing me that I may go through dry spells along the way, but God will see me through to His plan for my life! Love you!

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