"To everything there is a season ..."
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If I'm disliking a current task, somewhere I messed up.
My attitude is wrong or I'm working in the wrong season, for in God's timing? I'll find strength, ideas, inspiration and joy (He reminds me).
But mix up the seasons, like, try doing summer activities during our snowy winters? Uh-oh. Ain't gonna end well.
But those early years were my Yard Season, times when God helped me haul in 150+ bricks, many bags of soil and plants and seeds I purchased nearby and online. I researched perennials which thrive on neglect, relied on trusty ones from past experience, then put the yard together. Over some summers.
And now? Those flowers return yearly all by themselves. Well, after I remove thousands of brown over-winter leaves smothering them (which I remove Sit Down Farmer style).
But otherwise, my flower beds barely need me and oh Honey, that's a good thing, because ol' Debra ain't what she used to be.
Let's go here instead: God did me a huge favor when He urged me to put in those 5 flower beds from 2012 to 2015. When He made those my Yard Season years, not these 2016 - 2019 ones.
Because now? No way could I create those beds. No way. Today I'd be settling for a barren yard had I not cooperated with Yard Season.
Well, unless I'd hired that dreamy 'Silent Gardener' I wrote about here. But hey, I'm not certain I've got the faith to find him (or the money to pay him, either). ツ
(Someday though, I will need to hire a Lawn Mower Man and Hedge Trimmer Guy. My faith is increasing for them. heh.)
Today's lesson?
Cooperate with God's seasons! He knows what's down the road and how much money/ability/sprightliness we'll have when we get there.
The Creating a Wardrobe Season
The Stocking Up On Food/Supplies Season
The Redecorating/Remodeling Season
The Sowing Seeds of Friendship/Help Seasons
The Saving/Giving Money Seasons
The Personal Health Education Season
The Clean Your Bad Secret of a Basement Season
The Rewriting of 3,000 Blog Posts Season(!), etc.
Yet many of God's seasons, uh-oh. They have time limits.
Always they arrive with provision ($$ included), wisdom and energy, but are we paying attention? Do we, instead, choose seasons that 'makes sense' to our brain (and to our relatives)? Does our timing appear more logical?
Will we miss out on Grace's aid, struggling instead? Heaven forbid.
Instead, may I choose God's ways. I'll miss out on nothing good, for He knows me best, knows my future, provides whatever is needed and He never, ever makes mistakes.
Whew.
"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come." ... John 16:13
"Just do it. Don't talk yourself out of it. Just obey God."
The aforementioned rewrite of my blog? It gets me out of bed in the mornings with joy. Now, there's a sign I'm cooperating with a specific season. There's no other explanation, trust me. None.
What is your current season?
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Oh! Tom and I watched two wildly interesting films lately, both totally unrelated. We recommend each.
Stan and Ollie . Began slowly--give it a few minutes. (I watched the last half hour with an apricot-sized lump in my throat. Oh my.)
Also--
Chernobyl's Cafe. Tom and I love Chernobyl documentaries and this was one of the best.
You'll find both these films via Amazon.
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Very interesting thoughts about seasons. I'll be pondering your words.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, there IS a season for everything. One of the reasons I enjoy reading your posts is because they make me think. When I look out of our windows, I see trees, shrubs and flowers that I've planted over the past 15 years. Fifteen years ago, when we first moved to our little farm, there were only a couple of trees, and two of those had to be cut down because they were dying. I begged hubby to let me buy larger trees from the nursery, so we'd have big trees sooner, HOWEVER, I didn't realize bigger trees require more watering for survival. OH MY! I hauled watering hoses around our acreage for the first three summers we lived here. When it was very hot, I'd water them daily. I had to place the hoses and set a timer for a slow soak for each tree. Those days were not easy, but my vision of big, leafy trees, filled with singing birds, kept me going. God blessed our efforts and every tree survived. Now they serve us. They tower high above our home and shade us in the summer, they're vibrant colors warn us that winter is coming, and the evergreens hem us in from the cold north winds.
ReplyDeleteDebra, like you, I don't know if I could retrace my footsteps from 15 years ago...I don't know if I'd even want to try ;) but the fruits of our labor are an ongoing blessing, and a constant reminder of the changing seasons of life. I hope you have many opportunities to enjoy your lovely yard this summer!
Once again, I thank you for this post that is chock full of timely reminders to work in God's timing.
ReplyDeleteYour flower beds and yard are so pretty. We have an easy care yard, but I have very few flowers and oh, how I love flowers.
I hope you have a lovely day and week and you continue to spring from bed with joy in your heart.
Blessings,
Betsy
Oh Debra I understand completely that one year you can do this and the next it would be pretty much impossible to get done. Do your self a favor and mention this to your daughter too; try to do things differently off and on. Use the other foot when you shovel something, try a new exercise. Keep all your different muscles in use and strong. We all tend to do thing the same over and over not using our whole body and it gets off. Keep trying to climb steps..even if you have to start again with shallow steps and only a few and after a long time work up to a short regular stair case. Keep trying to keep your muscles in other words. I told my sister who is much younger to keep trying to sit cross legged Indian style on the floor, get in and out of a bath tub etc. Keep doing things too. We always had a shower here. When I went on vacation and only had a tub I could not get in or out! So embarrassing!! And SCARY. I wish so much I had made myself get into the bath off and on each month all those years. Because I can't get into a bath also means I can't sit down very low...forget a curb! The doctor said your muscles get amnesia cause if you don't use them they forget how to do things. You need physical therapy to regain that use. If that is happening please schedule physical therapy or workouts for your age group with a good fitness place and a very informed worker there. I was having problems climbing the three step stool I need off and on to get into a few cupboards. Then I realized one leg was so much weaker than the other... When you get older someone will ask you to stand on one foot and how do you get out of a chair..easily without any use of arms? etc. Strength and balance is one thing that will get you into a rest home after operations or when old so please please Debra keep trying and ask for help to keep your self strong. I wish I knew this earlier. Sarah
ReplyDeleteKim--thanks so much and for reading here, also!
ReplyDeletePam--loved your planting trees story and observations and that's wonderful that you're enjoying the shade all these years later.
Betsy--thank-you! I appreciate your good wishes and again, I loved seeing your vacation home and hearing about your adventures at your blog and Facebook. I'm glad you're able to get away and have some time off.
Sarah--awww, I'm fine. I do move all the time during the day. It's hard for me to sit still because I'm always remembering something that needs to be done around here. heh.
Thank-you, Everyone! Blessings, Debra
I absolutely LOVE this post. You are so funny and yet so full of wisdom too. I just want you to know that I appreciate every blog post you take the time to write. Thank you for blessing us with your words, wit and wisdom. (Wow, the 3 W's - Words, Wit and Wisdom and I didn't intentionally write those, well, I mean I did intentionally write them but was just writing what was on my heart. What I meant was that I did not try to create the 3 W's, it just happened. lol
ReplyDeleteOops, I forgot to mention that for now it seems that this is my season for getting rid of "stuff". I honestly don't have "that" much and I am far, far from being on the hoarders show but I have so many little things here and there and don't need them and it's time for them to go.
ReplyDeleteI need to get rid of anything I don't love or use and find a home for those things that I keep. It drives me half nuts when I can't find what I'm looking for around here. Yep, organizing seems to be in this season as well and I'm working on it, slowly but surely.