Getting dirty

Yesterday my neighbor removed two huge hollies bushes that had been living in my front yard flowerbeds since before I was born, I'm sure.  The were so large that they covered the bottom half of my front windows and the trunks were as thick as fairly mature trees.  The moment they were gone, I felt an incredible lightness, and I knew what I had to do.  I went straight to Home Depot and bought 9 shrubs to fill the flowerbeds.  I got a gardenia, a rhododenron, a soft holly, a Chinese fringe flower and a few others that I don't know the name of.  My only criteria were that they have interesting foliage, in different shades of green (some of pink/purple tinges and two have a bit of yellow in them), that they do something interesting in the winter, and that they don't grow too big.  I also got some really beautiful showy "grass"-type plants which I planted in front.  Eventually I'll line the beds with periwinkle that I'm working on transplanting from another part of the yard.

I spent about 5 hours working in the yard yesterday.  The first time I've ever done anything like that.  When I finally came inside I realized I was filthy.  I don't think I've ever been that dirty in my life.  I was afraid I'd be sore, and I was a little, but for the most part, I felt great!  I thank God for my home.

Ugly trees can bear fruit

There's a really ugly tree in my back yard that I would have sworn was dead when I bought the property last fall.  On Thursday evening while planting some flowers, my next door neighbor came over to tell me that the cherries were ripe and if I wanted any, I'd better pick them before the birds do.  I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't know what she was talking about until she pointed at that ugly, dead tree leaning over onto the top of my garage.

I've made two trips out to the cherry tree, with a big plastic bowl and a step ladder in hand.  I picked two big bowls full and have washed and packed the cherries in sugar for freezing.  I packed into 12 freezer bags enough cherries to top a cheesecake.  So every month for the next year, I will treat myself to a cherry cheesecake, compliments of that ugly tree in my back yard.

While I was elbow deep in cherries, I started thinking about how many of God's children I have overlooked or underestimated in my life because they didn't look like they were bearing fruit.  I wonder how many people have looked at me and written me off the way I wrote off that ugly tree. I thank God for that cherry tree and the fruit I brought me.  I thank God that I didn't have the resources at the time to follow my first instinct, which was to chop it down.  What a blessing I would have missed if I'd done that.  People, like trees, should not be judged by their outward appearance.  They should be judged by the fruit they bear.

Deadheads

Call me crazy, but I love deadheading my flowers.  There's something therapeutic about getting rid of old, spent flowers to help new flowers grow.  It's like the way I feel after getting a good trim on my hair.  My hair looks so much healthier, and easier to manage, when those dead, split ends are gone.

When I'm deadheading in my flower beds, my thoughts always drift to God.  I imagine that He must be thinking the same things about us as He prunes our deadheads away.  Whether it's attitudes, judgments, bad habits or unhealthy relationships, it's not only desirable, it's crucial to our wellbeing to make sure that we're deadheaded on a regular basis.  Getting rid of the things (and people) that no longer serve our purpose and our passion give us renewed vitality, time and focus.  What can you let go of today?