Last night we had supper with friends in their new home which is beautiful! An amazing couple and little boy and a very peaceful and comfortable place to be! I checked out the backyard while they were grilling and fell in love!
Dill, strawberries, rhubarb, grape vines and flowers were stubbornly holding on and flourishing in the jungle of weeds the previous owners had left. The yard has been taken over and the bushes and trees were pretty wild!
But through all of that one could see the care, passion and love that someone had put into this yard. The strawberries had a broken screen to protect them from the birds. The grapes their own place. The daisies all tucked in together in the back. Someone had put stepping stones down to make a path around the side of the house.
Two lessons I took to heart:
1. We can't just look at things-people, environments, places, or our own hearts...we have to SEE! See what is beyond the junk and the weeds and the chaos. See what is true about who others are and about who I am. Seeing takes time and intentionality and being.
2. What we lovingly plant and care for today might become surrounded with weeds of choices, habits and experiences. Those beautiful plants might be hard to see behind what has grown up around them. But their roots are deep and strong; unless they are cut down or dug up-they will survive and maintain who they are.
We plant, water, nurture and love our garden... then it is up to the new owners.
SEE beyond what lies at the surface and one finds those hidden treasures!!
SEE that our children, spouse, neighbors, friends, churches are all gardens that we have responsibility for loving and growing while we have the opportunity to do so!
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