work

May 16, 2013

Oh, that stinky stuff!!!

IMG_6078What a beautiful sight!  That, my friends, is my garden; and those lovely dark clumps are manure!!! It sure doesn’t smell very nice, but I’m ready to see more fruit from my labors this year!

Like any task, there is a cost involved.  Now I didn’t pay anything for my beautiful manure, but it did cost time and effort on the part of a dear family in our church who were gracious enough to bring the stuff.  AND, it cost time and labor on my dear son and husband’s part to spread it around.  Taking the tiller to it will be the fun part!

By the way, for those of you who remember Tilly – she’s in the shop, but they say she’s worth fixin’!  It will cost more than we really wanted to pay, but it’s a lot less expensive than a new tiller!

Preparing the ground: it takes time, effort, and expense.  Is it worth it?  I think so.  We certainly do not grow all our vegetables in this little plot of ground, but it sure tastes great when it’s fresh from the garden!  Isn’t that just like our wonderful Lord?  He takes the stinky manure mixed in with dirt and changes those tiny little seeds into wonderful vegetables!

And isn’t it even more amazing that He can take us – human clay, no matter how “stinked up” we are with sin, and He plants the seed of His Word into the willing heart and brings forth the fruits of salvation AND santification!  Don’t you just want to bring as much fruit into your life for Him as you can?

 “And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.” Mark 4:8

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May 13, 2012

Before and After

Well, Tilly perked right up yesterday and did her marvel.  My garden was beginning to look pretty shabby; and even though I appreciate Tilly’s help, I haven’t figured out a way for the tiller to pick out the weeds!  Tilly is a BIG help, but it’s still back breaking work to finish the job: pull the weeds and smooth out the sod.

So, what happens between “before” and “after?”  WORK!  While weeding yesterday, I noticed a process that may help us, especially today:  Mother’s Day.  I hope this will be helpful to you mothers.  In the garden of my life, I will be blessed if I …

  1. See the problem – As the tiny pea, onion, lettuce and potato plants take root and grow, so do the weeds.  We all have weeds in our garden of life.  Do you see them?  Don’t feel bad – we ALL have them.  God was really showing me my weeds this week!
  2. Make a choice – am I going to ignore them or deal with them?  If I ignore the weeds in my garden, I still might get some fruit, but they will not be as strong and healthy if they must grow among the weeds!  Okay, so I’m going to be really transparent this morning and hope that my “weed” problem will be a help to you.  My weed: submission!  OUCH!  It hurts to admit it!  When does it rear its ugly head?  When conflict arises and I fail to trust my husband!  As I read Proverbs 31 this morning, I noticed something new: The chapter does not start with words of instruction on raising children, or being a good housekeeper – The first challenge is this: “The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.”  After nearly thirty-one years of marriage, you would think that I would have this weed under control!  I think I’ve gotten better, but I still must pull at that weed “by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” (Psalm 199:9) Dear mothers, the best thing you can do for your children is to be the best wife on the face of this earth!
  3. WORK – the Christian life is work!  We are constantly rooting out and planting; however, the benefits are literally out of this world!  Find your weed and attack it with the Word of God, prayer and habit.  Little by little, the weeds of wrong choices, wrong words or wrong attitudes will lessen!

This morning, as I found a bouquet of flowers beside my rocker and a sweet homemade card from my youngest, the tears flowed as I thanked my precious Savior for saving me, keeping me, growing me, spanking me through his Word, and for CHANGING me!  (I’m still a work in process!) To God be all the glory!  Happy Mother’s Day!  May this day be a wonderful day for each of you as you honor your mothers and are honored as mothers.  Take heart, dear friend – the challenge may seem great, but you walk with the One who makes all things possible.  “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”  Phil 4:13.