It is through God’s grace that we are alive and well and able to enjoy God’s creation. It is through his Son, the second person of the Trinity, that grace blooms. I seek to see God’s creation not only with my eyes but with my soul.
That’s why I see God’s grace through these September swirls of color.
As I have stated over these past few months, we had an amazingly beautiful summer with frequent rain, plenty of sun, just enough warm days and a surprisingly cool entry into Fall.
September is one of those months where we sense a transition into Fall apparel but too often it is hot and dry and too uncomfortable to wear more than one thin layer of clothing. This year is different.
I was ready to embrace a hot Fall when cool winds swirled through this hilly dale and surprised us all. I’ve been wearing sweatshirts most of this month.
Needless to say, the Mums and Asters dot front yards a month early. I exchanged my pots of red, white and blue petunias for gold mums, blue asters and a pop of rose from a plant I’d never seen before. It’s from India so it will not last long. But WOW! With my mums already popping up all over the garden, these large pots added to our show-stopper front yard.
So, one might ask, “Why do I focus on my garden each month?” Because I never had a garden until I ‘retired’ almost ten years ago. I actually went back to work part time but I finally found time to build terraces with little stone walls down our hill. Now all we see is abundant variegated green, blue, rose, yellow and odd pops of color.
Over these several years I have marveled at God’s amazing creation that is now permanently planted on only one-quarter acre of land. I enjoy digging in the ground, creating my stone-edged herb garden, hauling dirt and bricks for days, and transplanting perennial blooms that may fare better in another spot. I also have an excuse to enjoy these balmy summer months outside.
I still teach and attend meetings via Zoom as we deal with the various anomalies of the continuing COVID challenge. Annual medical and dental appointments, errands, visits with friends and jaunts outside our town sometimes seem like mastering a maze for a few months.
I can count on the relaxation of digging soil, pulling weeds, cutting back the endless growth or simply sitting on my little bench and viewing acres of beauty that surround us. Blooms burst forth in spring with vigor, die back a little in the summer heat, then gracefully show their beauty again about this time of year. My Clematis is blooming again and the Daisies, cut back months ago, are showing off their white faces!
Tarragon and Garlic Chives nestle between vibrant rose bushes. Russian Sage leaps forth, covering endless varieties of hasta, some so large they press against the larger bushes. The Hydrangea bushes are filled with massive pom-poms of rose and blue with a hint of antique white. Creeping blue geraniums wind around salvia. Most delightful are my Winterberry bushes that are bursting with bright red berries.
This swirl of beauty stimulates all my senses and reminds me of our benevolent God. Just as colorful beauty surrounds and fills me, I am also reminded of the all-encompassing embrace of God’s grace holding me tight and directing me as I journey forth, one day at a time.
The JOY I feel each day as I focus on what is laid before me seems overwhelming in the same way that these garden blooms overwhelm my soul. I see and touch God’s creation daily and hear God’s creatures as they flit by like a butterfly or a grasshopper or a hummingbird or even big, noisy groups of geese. The swirl of infilling is wondrous.
One more month and all will remain as it is for the winter. For now, I linger in my garden and enjoy each part of this tiny world of wonder.
"It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.” Jeremiah 10:12
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