flowers and work

 I grew up working in the garden whether it was with my dad in the veggie garden we attempted every year or a flower garden with my mom. Some of my favorite memories with my Meme are of working in the gardens at her house. Now I have gardens of my own and I get to do most of the work myself. It's not easy and often is I think back to the amazing gardens of my mom and Meme, I get discouraged at how far I have to go to my gardens worthy of being compared to theirs.  Mom the other day as I was commenting on how far I have to go reminded me that the gardens I am comparing had years of work done before I can remember.  How often do I do that? compare where I am to someone who is older or on a different path? I look at where I am compared to someone who had years to work on their yard. I have only owned this place for almost 2 years.  I do the same thing on my walk with Christ. I compare where I am now to people who have had years longer than I have in their walk,  and this leads me to become discouraged and frustrated with what I see as slow or no growth. But when I look at myself now compared to a year ago or two I can see the growth. I can see the fruit or flowers God is growing in my life. The flowers in my yard only grow because I weed and remove plants blocking the sun and rain. At times I have to dig up the flowers, divide them and replant them. That way they continue to grow and thrive. If plants could think and talk I wonder what they would say when they see me come with the pruners and shovel? Would they think " Why would you move me? I am established here, all my friends are here. There is good soil here. I don't want to move!"  I know that was my thoughts 2 years ago when I moved to AL. Even a year ago when I went through a traumatic event. I asked God "Why are you doing this? You uprooted me separated me from my friends and placed me here for this to happen to me? I don't understand what you are doing!"  If I am 100% transparent and honest I even asked " Who would notice if I walked away from God?" Thankfully God did not let me walk away. He always had an answer to that question. Even know I don't know the extent of why I had to walk through this season but I can say that the flowers that grew out of it are blooming wonderfully in this season. 

These flowers did not bloom this magnificently last year because they were growing under the shade of a tree. With help a few weeks ago the tree came out now the flowers can bloom like they haven't in years!  Even now there is still more work to be done in this part of the yard. Once the blooms die in the fall I will dig them up, divide them and plant them in other places in the yard. This will allow them more space to bloom even better next year.  Just as God continues to work on the garden of my soul I will work on my gardens comparing them only to what was before.