Gardener by Creation

Genesis 2:4-5:  This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens— and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground

In God’s original plan Adam, the first man, would be a gardener in Eden.  Apparently man was as necessary as rain to the propagation of plant life.  The very first time I dug in the dirt and planted a seed, I knew I was a gardener by heart.  In time I came to learn that God made man a gardener at the beginning of creation probably because God Himself was a Gardener:

Genesis 2:8-9:  Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.  And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  

Winter has arrived with its gray skies and treacherous traveling.  But, as a gardener by creation, I am content to stay indoors planning my gardens for the new year.  I am not discouraged watching the snow cover the ground and freeze one day and melt away again the next because I see my gardens as a work in progress.  Yes, it looks like a bunch of dead sticks out there but I can imagine the lush green of summer as God works His wonders with my “plants of the field”.  God is more than able to coax life and color out of the brown mud of spring.  Spring bulbs hiding beneath winter’s chill are already preparing for their big spring event!

Genesis 2:15  The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

 

I get a real sense of accomplishment thinking back to past gardening projects – even the ones that didn’t work out so well.  I pray for the strength to see this new gardening season through to the end.  Then God will cover my gardens with a blanket of snow once more to await the warmth of spring.

Love as always,  Elaine (sorting seed packets)

The Gift of Meekness

Twenty-two degrees below zero this morning!  This winter has been a real roller coaster ride, weather-wise.  The whole country reels under extreme changes in the jet stream.  Sunny days give way to frigid nights and rainy afternoons have us breaking open frozen doors the next morning.

Our bird feeder has gotten frozen so often that I just go out with a ladle and spoon seed onto the shelf.  I always feel sorry for the birds during such extreme weather changes.  What must they think sleeping snugly in the pine trees, waking up nearly buried alive?  It's hard to keep the bird feeder clear of blowing snow or freezing rain so they can get to the seed.  The ground feeders haven't a chance of finding seed buried in deep drifts or frozen solid to the ground.  In such weather I discover all of them politely taking turns at a tiny open patch on the feeder ledge.  In better weather there's much bickering and pushing and the ground feeders don't even attempt to invade the higher "ground".  They must sense that survival depends on cooperation under such conditions.  Or maybe that's just the way God made them!

It makes me think about how much we are like that.  We can be bickering and fussing over the pettiest of details under ordinary circumstances but it's a different story when a crisis arises.  Bad times often bring out the best in us. 

That must be what God meant when He inspired Paul to write to the Galations at 6:2: 

"Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." 

Unlike the birds which behave by instinct, we can choose how we respond to adverse condition.  Often times it is the quiet, smiling widow or the tired, sleep deprived mother who lead the way yielding to others in need.  Don’t forget Jesus’ promise in Matt. 5:5;

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

As in the natural world, we are all affected by what happens to those around us – especially in the Church.  "No man is an island unto himself.  Even if the weather is fair and sunny, let's renew our efforts to have the same attitude as Christ...

Philippians 2:3-7, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,  but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."

Love as always,  Elaine

From Old to New

Here it is the end of December and we are just getting our first winter storm of the season!  We were taken by surprise when torrential rains glazed everything in ice overnight.  Birds suffer in such sudden changes – the empty bird feeder is frozen shut so I do my best to scatter seed ahead of the snow accumulation.  I am reminded of the futility of making plans at this time of year.

Perhaps, like many of us, you are assessing the waning year and making resolutions for the New Year ahead?  Magazines feature extended articles on getting organized.  Sporting goods stores tempt us with exercise equipment that promises to have you in “the best shape of your life”.  We tend to get drawn in to the, ”This is the year I would like to…” attitude of the world.  Instead we need to remember God’s warnings in James 4:13-16:

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."  As it is, you boast and brag.  All such boasting is evil.

There is one kind of resolution we could make for the New Year that might be pleasing to God.  That is the goal of gaining the “higher ground” of knowing and following Christ better this year than last.  If we can mark spiritually progress for ourselves in 2011, we can be encouraged to move forward and upward in 2012!

“But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him.  Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”                   1 John 2:5-6

“Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.”  2 Timothy 2:15, Amp.

Love as always,  Elaine (hitting The Book)

Light in the Dark

The shortest day of the year is approaching and daylight here is little more than early evening; the sun sits so low on the southern horizon.  Although this is probably not the time of His actual birth, it's especially appropriate that we celebrate God's Eternal Light given to us when we are most in the dark.

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:6-8

In this cold, dark time we have chosen to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ Who was sent to be our Savior.  What a glorious spark in a season of darkness!  His birth changed the course of history!  Not only was man's relationship to God going to be different, but his relationship to his fellow man changed, too.  Now we view the worth of each soul as God sees it.  Our focus is eternal instead of temporal.  

Our hope hangs on this undeniable historical event -- God as man born in a manger.  God poured the Light of His Glory into our dark world so that we could at last walk in that Light: 

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."  Isaiah 9:2

Indeed the Light has dawned, bringing love and hope to the whole world!  Let's share that love and embrace the hope that Christ lived and died to bring us.  We pray that Christ will be the Light in your Christmas celebrations this season.

Love as always,  Elaine (lighting candles in the dark)

Nativity Reminders

I look forward every Christmas season to unwrapping my ever growing collection of nativities.  I’ve a tiny but elegant one from Italy, an old fashioned cardboard stable with the chipped figures glued inside, Richard’s figurines from a childhood set but the most elaborate has belonged to my family since I was born!  It continues to thrill me to find Baby Jesus safely nestled in the manger.  Who isn’t touched by the birth of a baby?  But He was not just any baby!  Even while Mary carried Him in her womb, His worth could not be hidden!

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"  Luke 1:41-45

Even the roughest, simplest of my crèche collection gives me a shiver of excitement when I think of those who actually witnessed the most important night of man’s fallen history!  I’m reminded of one dark night some of our church friends stopped by to alert us that the Northern Lights were visible.  I was so excited I nearly stepped on a skunk when I charged out the back door in my pajamas!  The lights were amazing -- like big searchlights reaching up into the sky.  Then they shifted and shimmered like a rippling curtain of light, silent but ever changing.  Such special effects should be accompanied by majestic praise music.  Were such heavenly lights background to the angelic messenger who startled the shepherds?

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."  Luke 2:8-14

Does ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ take you back to that celebration?  May the glory of Christ’s birthday thrill you anew as you unpack your Christmas treasures.

Love as always,  Elaine (decking the halls!)

Singin' in the Rain

Like many of you, I spent many November days glumly staring out the window at dreary, rainy weather.  What a change from those balmy Indian Summer days!  Our leaves turn and fall sooner than most places and there's nothing like a hard rain to bring them down even quicker.  Add to that the blustery winds which have buffeted our little house on the prairie and you've got bare-naked trees in no time!  But as I watched the gray sheets of rain folding down out of the heavens, I realized what a blessings it is.  It's crucial that the trees have abundant rain just before resting for the winter.  It gives them such a good start in the spring.  It's not the beautiful bridal lace of snow that replenishes the water table.  No, it's the drab blue collar rains of November that fill our wells and irrigation ponds for the future growing season.

God knows what is necessary and He provides it in spite of our petulant wishes.  Now I can look outside and see the fresh, new green of a winter crop covering the potato fields like a Christmas chia pet.  Canadian Geese gather by the hundreds in shorn corn fields picking up leftovers, preparing to move on once waters are frozen.  Flocks of starlings happily dig for worms, thankful for a reprieve from early winter.  I'm certainly grateful to have mild weather while I'm hanging the outdoor Christmas lights!  What a blessing to be able to travel to the chiropractor, the store or the bank without anxiously watching the skies for a sudden blizzard!

"Truth springs from the earth, And righteousness looks down from heaven. Indeed, the LORD will give what is good, And our land will yield its produce."  Psalm 85:10-12 

Rest assured, winter will be along soon enough.  Once again I'll sit at the window mesmerized by the silent flakes making muffled marshmallows of every feature in the yard.  Then we'll cancel our travel plans for the day and settle in for winter's rest.  Until then, I'll anticipate lush gardens springing forth from this abundance of rain.  God is soooooooo good!!

"He sends forth springs in the valleys; They flow between the mountains; They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; They lift up their voices among the branches.  He waters the mountains from His upper chambers; The earth is satisfied with the fruit of His works.  He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,  And vegetation for the labor of man,  So that he may bring forth food from the earth…”  Psalm 104:16ff

Love as always,  Elaine (singing His praises in the rain)

Not All Me

Throughout my adult life I continued to remind my dentists that I didn’t want to spend fortunes saving these teeth because, “Someday I want the teeth of my dreams!”  Early this year I finally got them.  I love how they look and “work” but now I’ve got a gum inflammation that defies any cure.  It seems I’ve got a sensitivity to the new metal plate.  How exasperating! 

I am reminded that this mortal shell is wearing out.  Bumps and bruises, cuts and scrapes have left their mark upon my aging body.  Almost perfect at birth, it’s been a downhill slide ever since then!  In addition, fifteen surgeries have scarred my flesh like a road map to the grave!  Over the years a parade of surgeons have removed a number of organs or parts thereof.  How much longer can this go on?

 “But someone may ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?"  How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.  When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or of something else.  But God gives it a body as he has determined, and to each kind of seed he gives its own body.”      1 Cor. 15:35-38  

 “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.”      1Co 15:42-50 

One of our older church ladies has just endured major abdominal surgery.  My heart goes out to her.  I’ve been under the knife so many times myself that I can well imagine how much pain she’s having.  It will be a long recovery for her.  But our hope is not centered on this long-suffering flesh…

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.  For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.  When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’

Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"         1Co 15:51-55

Love as always,  Elaine (shedding this perishable a piece at a time)