MOM'S GARDEN

My mother died unexpectedly in the spring of the year. Not having had the opportunity to say goodbye, my daughter and I decided to plant a special circular garden in her memory.

From my collection of seeds, we chose a wildflower mix, sprinkling them liberally over the newly dug soil. We waited. By the end of summer, it was apparent that the only seeds which would grow in our soil were the ones which produced poppies.

Poppies of pastel pink, pure white and fiery red nodded on tall stalks. We noticed, though, that each flower was so delicate that it only lasted a day or two. It’s life span was shortened by a gentle breeze or a slight rainfall. How like my mother’s life - our lives. We bloom for but a moment, then are gone.

Yet the next spring we noticed that we had poppies sprouting everywhere. Although they had a short life span, they had reproduced themselves beautifully.

No matter how short or long our life span, may God use us to shed the glory of Himself everywhere we go.

The grass withers, the flower fades; but the Word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:7

Heavenly Father, thank You that what is eternal abides forever. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

BUG CARE

A two hour ride home from Detroit through a rain storm faced my husband and me. About an hour into our journey, the rain was coming down so heavily that it was difficult to see. We noticed that a piece of a highway sign had blown into our lane of traffic. Unable to move out of that lane, we had no choice but to run over the sign. The bolts, which should have held the sign in place, pointed upward - into our tires.

We held our breaths. Then we heard it - the dreaded sound of a tire going flat. We pulled as far as we could to the right side of the road and surveyed the damage. Thankfully, only one tire was affected, not all four as we had feared.

Although the sun was now shining, the road was still wet. Cars and trucks were speeding by us, trying to make up for the time they had lost due to the storm. It was a dangerous situation!

We found ourselves kneeling down in the mud and wet grass, my husband changing the tire, me steadying the jack, I was asking God to protect us. I felt so vulnerable to the danger. Then I looked down. Where the grass met the road, there were families of June bugs scurrying back and forth. They, too, were within feet of the cars and trucks flying by. They lived there, unafraid!

How thankful I was to witness God’s little creatures there in that perilous place. Surely if He cared for them, He would care for us!

In the day of my trouble I call on Thee, for Thou dost answer me. Psalm 86:7

Heavenly Father, thank You for promising to be with me in the midst of life when it is swirling about me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

RESOURCE PERSON

Do you remember how you felt whenever you started a new job? You were usually assigned one person who would help you get your bearings. Simple questions kept popping up with which you needed help. How did a particular telephone system work? Where were pens and pencils kept? How was this and that particular procedure carried out? Where were you to hang your coat? Where was there a nearby place to eat? How grateful you were to have that person nearby, ready to help.

How grateful we are, too, to be able to go to our heavenly Father at any time to ask, discuss, question, and ponder. He delights in being our resource Person. He is more than qualified since He created us and He created any place in which we find ourselves.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Heavenly Father, please remind me that You delight in my coming to You with any detail, large or small. In Jesus‘ name. Amen.

HUB CAPS

We took our car into the repair shop. When we retrieved it a couple of days later, all four of our hub caps were gone. Our nice family car looked like a junker.

Now if there is one thing in the entire world which upsets me, it is owning a car which has no hub caps. How I feel about myself turns to mud.

I find it strange that how I view myself is so closely connected to how my vehicle looks. How shallow can my thinking be? Aren’t I the same person whether I ride in a luxury car with no hub caps or in an economy car with hub caps? Why does that bother me? Could it be linked with that “keep up appearances” game? Don’t we realize that appearances can be misleading?

The outside of a house . . . a car . . . a person . . . can have the correct appearance on the outside. Underneath, however, the roof can have dry rot, under the hood can be a burned out engine, in a person’s heart can be greed, bitterness and hatred.

God has made provision through the Lord Jesus for us to be a new and whole person from the inside out. Even if we lose our hub caps (and appearance) on the outside, we know God dwells within. He has made our hearts pure. We are who He made us to be. All is well.

Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment. John 7:24

Heavenly Father, please show me how to keep my heart pure before You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

TOO BUSY?

It was eight o’clock on a Monday morning and it was already a busy day. In addition to regular household duties, two cover letters, envelopes and a resume for a friend had to be typed. Potato salad had to be made to add to hamburgers for an easy dinner before we headed out the door to a meeting that evening. We needed to remember to take applications for a workshop, not to mention our smiles. The stress was building as the challenges of the day seemed to be winning out . It didn’t feel good or fun or healthy.

What to do? How to keep from getting caught up in the endless merry-go-round of too much to do? How to keep it from spilling over, affecting everyone else?

If we would just pause a moment in the midst of the chaos, we would remember that the Lord stands ready to help. He wants us to go to Him to ask for His plan for our day. He wants us to be still so we can hear His directives. He longs to help us make wise decisions.

As we ask for the Lord’s wisdom, we will see clearly which activities of the day are to stay as a top priority and which ones can wait until another day. Then we will be surrounded by peace.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. James 1:5

Heavenly Father, when I am in the midst of chaos and I am overwhelmed, please calm my heart so that I may seek You and Your wisdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

WHAT ARE YOU KNOWN FOR?

We have a friend who grows the best sweet corn in his garden. Maybe its the best in the county . . . the state . . . maybe even the world. It is THAT good.

Each September we look forward to our friend offering us a portion of his bounty - a brown grocery sack full to overflowing with corn on the cob. The kernels are so tender, so sweet, one can just imagine that is how heaven will taste.

Our friend, Frank, is an expert gardener. Throughout his 70 plus years, he has experimented with various types of seeds to yield the most delicious corn in his particular garden space. Frank, a follower of Jesus, is known far and wide for his excellent corn, bringing glory to God because of it.

Maybe we should ask ourselves - what is it I do which is special, which sets me apart, that I may live to the glory of God?

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Thy name give glory. Psalm 115:1

Heavenly Father, You created me as a unique being - please reveal to me how I can glorify Your name through that uniqueness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.