Dead Grass, Shallow roots

This summer's lack of rain has taken a huge toll on my yard. It became quite apparent to me last weekend as I started noticing spots of dead grass. Despite my watering efforts, the sprinklers have been spread too far apart and certain areas of grass have missed out. On top of this I found weeds overtaking some patches of good grass. It all adds up to a certain level of neglect, failure in my mind... As I began to pull clumps of weeds out I realized they had long "tap" roots. Compared to the fairly shallow root system of the grass it is no wonder the weeds are thriving and my thirsty grass is suffering. Sounds a lot like my spirit right now. Months of inconsistent nourishment has caused shallow dependence on God. My overlooked shortcomings reach for a deeper hold on me. But my heart's true desire is to be "like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17:8) And so I resolve to set apart time daily for my nourishment in God's Word- I might even do it while the sprinklers are running outside.

Snake Skins, Bees and Compost

Today while on yard detail my husband discovered a shed snake skin in a honeysuckle vine. Oh joy, our friend the snake left us a gift. It's been over 5 weeks since we met him on the front walkway and then smothered the yard with Snake-Away. I guess he was safe enough on the fence-line to hang out a few more days and wiggle out of his old skin. The kids were fascinated with the find and honestly, it has led to an excellent herpetology lesson. And a quick reminder of how we're continually growing in God's love, shedding off the old self so more of His new creation can show through.

After putting the snake skin in our nature collection I went to the garage to fetch the rake for my husband, still in the yard. I discovered a small swarm of bees investigating our storage cubbies near the garden tools. I decided Hubby didn't need the rake that bad and I turned to Google to help me with getting rid of the bees. I ended up turning on our sonic pest controls and spraying citronella into the wind of the oscillating fan. The bees moved closer to the open door but didn't leave. So I set a dish of sugar water out on the drive and am hoping to lure them out. I should check to see if they are gone yet... While working on that project the kids had to pull Maggie, our new German Shepherd mix puppy, out of the compost pile. Note to self, I should work on a better containing area for the compost as it doesn't set well with dogs' tummies. Next item on the agenda, clean up what Maggie regurgitated on the kitchen floor.

Love these summer days!

Wildlife

One of the goals I have in creating our garden oasis is to make it inviting to birds & butterflies. We so enjoy watching the hummingbirds, chickadees, finches, cardinals, blue jays and others at the feeders. We've even observed 4 baby mockingbirds leave their nest next door and move into our backyard. And the graceful butterflies we see visiting our colorful flowers amaze me and are reminders of our great God's complete plan for His creation. Of course there are other pollinators living in our yard- my youngest un-intentionally discovered a sneaky yellow jacket nest in a curled up banana leaf. They got him 4 times. Now that was not a fun day in the backyard! But we do benefit from the perks of our other garden residents, insect eating green lizards & geckos, frogs & toads, ladybugs and praying mantises. This is our lovely sunny garden.

However, as night descends, new visitors emerge. I don't care for the rabbits that nibble my vegetables, the opossums and armadillos that dig up my flowers, and the rat that quietly slips under the fence to check out our compost collection. And now to make my "garden of Eden" complete- you guessed it- we have had a snake! This discovery was again made by my youngest son, from way to close for my comfort. It was coiled up on my front walkway last night, right where my husband and older son had just passed. Normally snakes in general don't alarm me- I understand their natural importance. But this snake was not expected or invited. It was a medium- sized rattlesnake. My husband managed to put a basket over it and we scurried inside to recover. But as I feared, this morning it is gone. So, today we'll be putting out the Snake-Away and you better believe I'm calling for lawn/shrub service for the next few weeks. This is 1 visitor I don't want to find again!

As usual, these nature events spark an opportunity for me to discuss spiritual matters with the boys. Today we'll be talking about how the snake surprised us and was equipped to poison his prey. We need to clean out the hiding places in our heart and not allow sin to infect us. I pray that God's "son-shine" fills your garden with His light today too.

Nature Detective

My younger son shares my passion for outdoors. He is very content exploring and wandering through the yard. The other day I handed my son a magnifying glass and told him to go discover something new in nature. As I sat with older brother at the patio table working on a math lesson, my little detective occasionally came running over to show off a new treasure to add to his nature collection. In the past his collection has included pine cones, rocks, shells, feathers and even a frog skeleton. No wonder his excitement when an abandoned bird egg was spotted balancing precariously in a low pine tree branch. With no nest in sight, I retrieved the egg and reminded my son about the fragile shell. Immediately he was concerned that the momma bird couldn't keep it warm if we put it in his collection. We decided to build a new little grass nest for it and watch for the momma bird to come back. He gathered some grass and weeds and then joined us at the table to chat about the morning's events.

Later I began to think about how that magnifying glass led to such interesting discoveries. I've decided the Bible is a little like a magnifying glass. It helps me see more clearly the beauty of God's love for me. And through it I see where I need to reflect more of God and less of me. Time to go take a closer look.

Weeds

I have weeds in my yard. As common as this is I can't help being upset by it. You see, just before Spring rolled around the corner I began planning my dream yard, complete with vegetable and flower gardens.

So as the grass began to wake from Winter's slumber it received a yummy fertilization. We top-dressed all the garden bed's with stimulating compost. Finally my children and I labored over many new seeds, bulbs and tender sunflower and bean plants, grown as school experiments.

Exciting stuff, right? Except weeds were not part of my plan! And now I wander the yard so distracted from all the emerging beauty by these blasted weeds.

I'm realizing that no matter how big and beautiful my dreams for this yard are it is going to take lots daily effort to maintain and nurture. Sounds familiar to the way God watches over my life. I have big plans that inevitably produce some weeds. I know that just as I root up those weeds in my yard God has some rooting up to do in my life. It's going to be hard work, for both of us. Maybe if I keep dreaming of the beauty it won't hurt so much.