I pray you are praying with us each day on this website. We pray the prayer blanket that God has given us as a tool for seeing answers to prayer and the demolishing of strongholds. We see so many miracles, and we expect them every time we pray!!
We are told to speak to the mountain, tell it to be removed and cast into the sea, and not to doubt but believe that we have what we say…in other words, to expect what we say!
I’ve been doing some gardening…you know, just putzing around…not really knowing how to garden exactly. I mean, I’ve planted things in years past, and some came up and we ate them and some did not come up…or certainly did not bear much fruit.
Right now, I have only planted 3 tomato plants…in the food line of planting. I’m thinking I’ll do more, but I’ve learned that if I take on too much…I don’t do a good job. In the past, I’ve over bought and planted scraggly flowers that I couldn’t get in the ground like I had planned…some did make it.
Annuals have been my experience, but I hate to replant every year in the same spot. I am so different than when I was younger. A younger me wanted to change what I did every year…not learning much…not writing things down.
A younger me lived a little haphazardly…I would start project after project…leaving half-finished things in closets, under beds, in the garage…you know…out of sight…and that leads to out of mind. I have old yarn in my attic now that I had planned to make afghans out of.
Now, it’s true that I did go to work for 19 years plus 7 months of sick leave…teach middle school…and then retire. When I first retired, that first summer was wonderful. I got paid double…I didn’t feel any pinch of less money monthly for about 6 months.
I also began a new round of life…Mimi taking care of my not quite 2-year-old granddaughter. I was carrying her, and I was changing her, and my life began to rotate around her.
While I was adjusting to her, I was re-arranging my kitchen to suit me again…a never-ending job when married to a man who knows so much more than me…I’m smiling as I say this.
I cook more now, and we go out less. I am home most of the time, doing errands when I pick up my grandgirl, who is now 3 years old. I pick her up twice a week, I do Bible studies sometimes twice a week, AWANAS/ESL once a week, and run this prayer ministry…day in and day out.
I pray for people morning, noon, and at night. I love to pray! God has been so faithful to me that I have spent the last 10 years being faithful in prayer to Him. I can’t outgive Him, He just keeps giving!
This year, and for a couple of years, I have increased my perennials. I love the daffodils, tulips, azaleas, hydrangeas, day lilies, irises, gardenias, and daisies that are all growing so magnificently this year. Daffodils started us off, and this must be their year, as they are more beautiful than ever to me! I’ve looked for some to plant…but I guess I’ll wait and plant in the fall. Roses are a mystery to me. I haven’t got the knack for them, yet, but I plan to figure them out, as I have some very scraggly ones…frowny face.
There’s a spiritual meaning here…about the perennials, I mean. They come back…and not only do they come back…they give back. I mean they come up basically at a certain time…as long as there’s no late freeze…and they go back to seed. If there’s enough water…no drought…or if there was some snow…they come back plush…flourishing…and more than our eyes can behold at times…they are so beautiful!!
I have become so attached to the old plants…outside…and the inside ones that I just moved outdoors. I have a fica tree that was given to me when my mother in-law died in 1997 — 15 years old! There is an Easter lily given to us when my father in-law died from our bffs, Thanksgiving time in 1998 — 14 years old!
I have 2 Easter lilies that were given to me when Daddy went to be with the LORD in 2003 — 9 years old. My 4th Easter lily was given to me at Mama’s going home celebration last year.
Amazing how symbols…things…mean things to us! When I’m in the room all those plants are in, both in the house and out on the deck outside my kitchen…I feel the warmth from them…like friendship. Before I got the first one…the fica tree…I had never had anything live long.
The perennials that faithfully return every year…and these plants that remind me of our parents…who are part of our cloud of witnesses…give such peace.
I’m not new age…not a naturalist. I don’t believe that plants and people are on the same level. So, please hear me out!
I do believe that gardens are precious to God! From the garden of Eden…to the garden of Gethsemane…to the song In the Garden… the LORD loves plowing, and planting (sowing seed), and watering, and weeding, and harvest!!
It’s His plan! If you’ve experienced any gardening, you have probably heard the LORD’s voice. He walks in the garden with us…just like He did Adam.
The LORD expects obedience, and we who obey Him, love Him!!! We are His friends!!!
I love being God Almighty’s friend…
Until the next time….
Teddi
