The Garden of God's Gifts
by Kathy Whirity

I looked out the front window to admire the beautiful landscape. The lawn was lush and green. The bushes and small trees rounded out the springtime scene. Last year we weren't sure what would burst forth to bloom and grow.

Our new home had been built, we were all moved in and now we had one last thing to contend with - a big, over sized patch of dirt in the front yard. Bill, my ever enthusiastic husband and green thumb extraordinarie, insisted it would be fun to do the landscaping ourselves. He assured me that laying the sod would be easy. We ordered the numerous rolls of sod and bright and early the following Saturday morning it was delivered. There was one thing we hadn't counted on - a severe thunderstorm was heading our way.

No sooner had the first couple of rolls been laid and the downpour began. Within minutes we were a soggy, muddy mess, knee deep in a springtime rainstorm. We kept right on working because, as my hubby said with sod in hand, "when you're on a roll you just don't quit."

Later that afternoon we washed most of the mud off with the garden hose, stripped off the soaked clothes in the laundry room and took our much needed showers. Later, with a cup of hot tea in hand, we looked out at the rain still falling steadily and wondered about the fate of our landscaping and if the sod would take. Now as I look out the front window I see that it doesn't matter what led up to our landscaping ordeal. We persevered to get the job done and that's really all that mattered. This spring's beautiful garden reminds me of all the hard work it took to be able to gaze upon it now with much joy and happiness.

I also thought about something else today while admiring the budding flowers, that were the fruits of our labor, so lovingly planted by Bill the other day. Surrounded by the beauty of my earthly garden I'm reminded of another garden - the glorious garden of God's love. If we are devoted to seeking His Word and persevering to know Him more intimately, we will be planting the foundation to our salvation.

And whether our journey to God's Word takes us through storms or finds us knee deep in confusion, if we stay the course, and have faith that our understanding will grow, then the springtime of our rebirth will bloom an awesome blessing in the garden of our souls.

(c) 2005 Kathy Whirity
kathywhirity@yahoo.com

Kathy Whirity lives in Chicago where she shares her life and love with her husband of 28 years, Bill, their two daughters, Jaime and Katie, and two rambunctious retrievers, Holly and Hannah. Kathy is a family life columnist for two area newspapers. For more of Kathy's writings please visit her web page: Kathy Whirity's Musings From The Heart http://www.heartwarmers4u.com/members?kathyw

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