Rejoice in the beauty: adapt to the nuisances
It’s SPRING! Flowers have burst forth with glorious color, butterflies and bees are active, and trees cover their bare branches with leafy spring fashion.
If you know me or have read very many of my blogs or articles, you’ll know by now that I’m a country girl. And…that I’m always finding lessons from nature (I’ll get to that later).
I hope sunny and warmer weather has made an appearance at your house, too. For me, Spring is that time when I get the itch to work in my yard.
Sometimes that itch comes from insects and poison ivy, but they haven’t gotten that bad…yet.
But, back to the yard work. I love flowers and the only way to get them on a farm or in your yard is–WORK! It’s not just a matter of wishing for flowers or putting out a few pots of blooms. Having a yard full of flowers, shrubs, and blooming trees is a LOT of work.
It’s a time consuming process–clean up the area to be planted; develop a plan and decide what I want to plant and where; get the soil ready (which may involve lots of weeding, digging, adding nutrients, etc.); buy the plants, fertilizer, mulch, and whatever else might be needed; and finally–PLANT. This beginning is somewhat exciting as I anticipate how pretty the flowers are and will be.
Now, if that was it, it might not be so bad, BUT (there’s always that but) then comes even more work and it goes on and on. I have to maintain the flower bed, give it constant care. This involves weeding, watering, feeding (fertilizers), keeping the insects and other varmints away, cutting away the dead blossoms so more can bloom, and it goes on and on.
So…to make my garden or yard grow I must:
- Clean up previous messes and prepare the environment for the plants to grow.
- Carefully nurture the young tender growth and continue care throughout their lifespan.
- Protect the flowers from things that could harm them (weeds, drought, insects, and other varmints).
- Accept and adapt to those nuisances (bugs, weeds, hot weather, and the wildlife that want to eat my flowers), while doing what I can to protect my plants.
A garden or yard is like a baby–it’s new and exciting and the work takes a lifetime!
Isn’t that the way of relationships, too? (You knew I would get to a lesson, didn’t you?)
When we are first in a relationship, it’s new and exciting. We’re happy to learn about our new friend or love interest. We nurture the connection and the relationship grows and blossoms.
But, then what?
It takes work to keep a relationship going.
It’s sort of like my yard. I need to:
- Maintain an environment where the relationship can grow and flourish. Demonstrate the Fruit of the Spirit* to my friends and loved ones.
- Keep the weeds of conflict, frustration, and anger from harming our relationship. Be open in communication, but speak lovingly.
- Commit to the long haul–a relationship takes a lot of work!
Let’s use marriage as an example. In the beginning of our relationship and early marriage, we are so in love that we think our love will always be cheerful, bright, and sunny–like that fresh flower bed we just planted. The sun will shine on our love and we will be showered with blessings. We know that the storms will come, but we are certain that we will weather the trials.
Hmm…
Weeds sprout in our relationship–there’s those things about our spouse or significant other that we really just don’t like.
There’s conflict when our expectations aren’t met. Like the flowers that aren’t nurtured, our relationship can wither away and dry up.
Sometimes the storms and trials are so fierce that we wonder if our love will survive.
Thankfully, most of us weather the storms in our marriage and other relationships, but it’s because we’ve worked very hard to do so.
Does Spring remind you of new beginnings? Is this the time for you to give a little extra nurture to your loving relationships?
As when we view our yard or garden, we rejoice in the beauty of our relationships, we accept that there are going to be trials, and to the best of our ability, we adapt to those nuisances that are irritating. And, like a beautiful yard, we recognize that maintaining loving relationships takes a forever commitment of nurturing.
*But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22
Wishing you a blessed Spring, my friends!
Katherine, this is a beautiful analogy about relationships. You reminded us that they require protection and nurture as do flower gardens. Thank you my friend, for these reminders.
Thank you, Jeannie. I definitely felt God’s protection this afternoon as those storms rolled through! Hope you and your family are safe. Wishing you a blessed week, my friend.
Beautiful analogy, lots of truth in both! Yard work, gardens and flower beds are all hard work, but worth the effort. Same is true of our efforts to get along with others. Enjoyed this one because, after all, “It’s all about relationships!”
You summed it up so well, Brenda. That hard work is worth the effort–especially when we focus on our relationship with God. I’m thankful He nurtures us and shows us the way to be caring and compassionate in all our relationships. I hope you’re enjoying this wonderful spring weather and staying safe in the storms.
Ms. Katherine,
You captured the essence of growing my friend. Whether it’s a garden (of any type), a personal relationship, or more importantly a personal relationship with God, lots of effort is required. Ah, but when the harvest comes. It’s evidence that it was worth every sacrifice. God’s blessings ma’am. What a sweet reminder of the fact that we are but caretakers of all the beauty our Creator has given us.
Yes, I agree, Jim. We get our reward for our hard work when the harvest comes. It might be beautiful flowers, vegetables in our garden, hay for our animals, or the most important harvest–the one that brings souls to Jesus. That’s the most critical harvest, isn’t it? I pray that we, as Christians, can do our part in that Harvest that leads to eternal life.