seven year blogaversary: still a stick that won’t be broken

The lilacs, then the lilies, followed by the snowballs, and now come the peonies. My yard is starting have blossoms somewhere all summer long. That consistency is not a result of knowledge. Home’s backyard is a happenstance resulting from following my heart in a one-step-at-a-time planting over 10 years.

This planting has taught me much about the hope and faith journey of a prayer sent out – how to live fully in the daily until that prayer returns home answered.

Today is my seven year blogaversary. I am still that stick that will not be broken, though as my boys have grown older they seem to think I am more fragile than I believe I am. On a hiking trip in the Smokey Mountains, they weren’t comfortable with me lagging behind taking photos. They started tag-teaming who would stay behind with me. I learned I don’t like being treated like I’m fragile; however, their efforts were a sweet hug from a bunch of boys who still like me to pour them a glass of milk “because it just tastes so much better if mamma does it.”

Each year of this blogging seems to have brought with it a change to my story – inside and out. The challenges change, too. However, God’s faithfulness in his love for me, his saving grace and redemption of my daily haven’t changed; it has only become more revealed.

He’s not surprised how I learn – the quickness of picking up on some things and the slowness of learning other things. He put in my heart the admiration and desire of each flower in my backyard – some because of their story, some because looking at them made my heart happy.

I had to scrape and dig into the red Tennessee clay, mix with rich dirt and manure along the house, the back edges of my yard, spots for Leland pines, hollies, lilacs, snowballs, butterfly bushes, crepe myrtles. Every summer I reseed the zinnias.

He dropped an idea into my heart – and plant by plant – not really seeing the long-term vision of a yard blooming some kind of blossom all spring and summer long, not really seeing me learning how to live blessing in the midst of the challenges consistently – like my yard, I am getting there. Not through any intentional design on my part, but walking with him in faith and hope one step at a time.

Just like each child he sent us – child by child – not really seeing the long-term vision of each son growing, not really knowing how to live blessing in the midst of the parenting challenges consistently, but walking with him in faith and hope one step at a time.

Gardening is so very much like parenting, even marriage.

Yes, I am still a stick that will not be broken. It’s not because I am strong or resilient. I don’t have access to anything any different than you or my neighbor. It’s more about understanding and believing in whose I am than putting any stock into who I am.

Seven years in the blogahood? It has been a delightful, encouragement-filled place to be, and I am so glad that I came – one blog post at a time.