Author: Wendy

More Lessons From Camping

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes when we attempt to build community, we are rewarded with something awesome.
Sometimes when we attempt to build community, we are rewarded with something awesome.

On my recent camping adventure, we had all circled up around the camp fire ring. All of the tents had been taken down and the cars and bus had been packed. Our youth pastor, had given everyone the instructions to find an object that represented something that was special to them about the weekend. The adults participated too.

It was really kind of interesting as everyone shared something, that most everyone came back to either community or water. One of the men stood up with a clear plastic cup of water. He said the cup represented community and the water represented the rain that sometimes falls on community. To demonstrate, he walked around the circle and sprinkled drops on all of us. He went onto say that sometimes rain falls in our lives and we don’t understand why; sometimes it’s light rain and sometimes it pours. But, we can be sure that God has His hand in it and as a community, we have to pull together to get through it. One day we will understand.

How profound. Our church community has really been struggling and what a beautiful concrete picture, he presented for the kids and honestly, even more so, for the adults.

When my own hubby stood up, he had two items, one was an old can he found and one was a small yellow bunch of flowers that one of the high schoolers had given him. The can represented God’s creation and learning to really appreciate it. He encouraged all of our technology addicted kids to get out in it more and appreciate it, and to leave it better than they found it.

The next part really took my breath away. He hates to talk in a group, but he held up the bunch of flowers and told the group that the bunch represented community. He took one and said you never think of one flower as much, but a bunch is eye-catching. They grow together in a bunch and they make the most impact in a bunch, just like community. He drew a round of applause as he sat down.

I made a mental note to ask him about his reflection later. It was just so unlike him.

Later that night, as we were sitting around our own dinner table, our family was taking turns sharing what we liked best about the weekend. We all had different stories. The kids talked about their highs and lows. We all felt like it was our favorite youth trip so far, and then my hubby shared something with us.

He told us that he had picked up the can and had rehearsed in his head what he would say, when the high schooler handed him the bunch of flowers. When he asked her what he was supposed to do with them, she told him she didn’t know. He said that when it was his turn to speak, that he had come up with something about the beauty of flowers, but when he began to speak, something completely different came out.

The kids and I were silent for a moment and I admit that I had chills. The Holy Spirit was clearly at work. The Bible tells us in Corinthians 2:13, “When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.”

We had spent that weekend trying to build community among our youth and among the parents and, the Holy Spirit was clearly behind our success. Community is so important to Christians of all ages in all stages of their journey. When we reach out to try to build it, we are often rewarded with something beautiful and sometimes when we talk with each other about our experiences, we can actually see some of the Divine behind the scenes. I have to tell you, it’s pretty awesome!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Happy Birthday Graceful Gaines!

Posted on by Wendy
Happy 1st Birthday Graceful Gaines!
Happy 1st Birthday Graceful Gaines!

Today is a huge day for me. It’s the one year anniversary of Graceful Gaines. For one year now, I have posted Monday through Friday my thoughts and reflections as I seek more of God in my life. I want to thank you all for reading and for the many positive comments you have given me here and on Facebook and through phone calls and in person. Every share, every note has meant the world to this fledgling writer.

I have always wanted to be a writer and I put that little dream on the back burner for a long time and then I felt an awakening of sorts, and that God was nudging me to write. I didn’t really know anything about blogging so I did a little research. He prompted me to start off with a small online Bible Study that was only open to the people I invited. I really enjoyed it and had a good response. There were times as I sat at my keyboard, that I knew the words were not mine, but came from the Holy Spirit. It was an awesome feeling. It wasn’t until about six months later that I felt in my heart, it was really time to proceed.

As I made the plans to get started, I had to come up with a name. I was praying about it and had bounced around a dozen or so ideas on paper. Then one day, right after I dropped my daughter off at school, the name came to me. When I did a search, I knew it didn’t exist already, because I felt as if God whispered it in my ear.

My premise for writing was simple. Watch for God in the world around me and share what I see and learn. It’s been such an amazing ride. As I seek God, He always gives me something to share. When I feel myself grappling with faith issues, I share them here because I think others may be struggling with the same. Isn’t that what community is supposed to be about? I have learned so much while writing in this space and you have shared so much and caused me to think harder and dig deeper.

I have a neat little program that shows how many people from different countries have read my words. People from 56 different countries have visited this site and some of the countries are not even Christian countries. People from places like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and United Arab Emirates have read encouraging words about Jesus. My simple words have been read around the world and that thought moves me to tears.

Here is a map of all the countries in the world who have someone who have visited Graceful Gaines.
Here is a map of all the countries in the world who have someone living there who has visited Graceful Gaines.

God has been so faithful to me as I try to share my story intertwined with His and the response has amazed me. Thank-you from the bottom of my heart for reading. Thanks for all of your encouragement and your comments. I pray that I can continue to encourage you and provide you with food for thought for another year. This journey has truly been a dream come true for me. Thanks so much for helping me make that happen.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Lessons from a Youth Group Camping Trip

Posted on by Wendy

I have just returned from a weekend in the woods with our church youth group. We spent the weekend camping. I’m ashamed to say that I went kicking and screaming this year. I kind of had a Jonah moment. It’s not that I mind sleeping in a tent or the fact that it always rains. Seriously, it rains every time I camp and this trip was no exception. It’s not that I am even horribly opposed to a weekend with no shower. Of course, the person who sat next to me at dinner on Saturday night might not have been happy with my lack of showering.

No, what I mind the most is the hours and hours of work required when I return home. The laundry alone, turns into a two-day chore, especially when everything you took is wet.

The laundry alone, turns into a two day task.
The laundry alone, turns into a two-day chore.

Then there’s the fact that you have to put up your tent again to let it dry in the driveway and we have two, along with blowing up air mattresses, and taking out folding chairs and cleaning coolers with bleach.

“Why do I always have to go camping?” I questioned God. “Why can’t some other parents go?” I got no answer to that, but I knew in my heart that I was supposed to go. I grudgingly went.

We planned something new this year. My hubby, our youth pastor and I, brainstormed on how to get more families involved and we came up with the idea that perhaps people who didn’t want to camp, might come for a family dinner.

Now, that you have heard my many objections to this trip, let me tell you how blessed I was for being a part of it. This group of kids was amazingly sincere and deep. Pastor Nikki asked them during devotion time on Saturday morning, to go and find something from nature that reminded them of a story or concept from the Bible. I was amazed at what they came up with. There were thirteen kids and each one had something different.

There was a stick that was Moses’ staff to part the Red Sea and a log used to build the Ark and a stone to represent the woman who the religious leaders wanted to stone before Jesus intervened. There was a tiny branch that represented the olive branch that the dove brought to Noah when he was searching for land. Another rock represented the one that took down Goliath. I was stunned at their Biblical knowledge and creativity.

Then there was an affirmation activity where three people had to say something well thought out, about the person standing up. Here again, the comments were just beautiful.

There was a family who I didn’t know very well who showed up to help with everything from meals to making a fire and it was a joy getting to know them. They were so much fun.

We had around thirty-five people for our family dinner and it was fabulous. My hubby smoked two Boston butts. One of the moms showed up and helped me peel potatoes and she brought my hubby a cake for his birthday. It was more than I could have ever hoped for.

When we started a worship time, it began to pour down rain. Everyone moved to the covered pavilion and squeezed in tight to hear the message. After the families left, Pastor Nikki had the kids sing Happy Birthday to my hubby and we all shared cake that another mom brought.

I really was moved by it all and I was ashamed for my reluctance to obey God’s calling. And on Sunday morning, as I trudged to the bathroom, God rewarded me with a gorgeous sunrise.

I would have never seen this masterpiece if I hadn't obeyed God's call to go camping.
I would have never seen this masterpiece if I hadn’t obeyed God’s call to go camping.

To top it off, when we arrived home, one of the dads from the night before who had also come for Sunday morning worship, pulled into our driveway. He hopped out of his car and told us he knew that if he asked if he could help, we would have told him no, so he just came. He helped put together all of that stuff in the driveway. This is the community that I am always writing about, right here.

As I write this, I am humbled by the blessings I received this weekend and moved to tears at God’s desire to bless me as I serve Him, even when I do it kicking and screaming. I hope I will be more willing and enthusiastic next time.

How are you doing with obedience? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

 

I Couldn’t Help Myself….

Posted on by Wendy
Not eating too much cake is an exercise in self-control.
Not eating too much cake is an exercise in self-control.

Have you ever seen a toddler throw a temper tantrum? They completely lose control of themselves as they scream and cry until their little faces turn red. They sometimes lie on the floor and thrash about. As parents, we have several ways of dealing with their behavior. We can ignore it or meet it head on. We also know that there can be extenuating circumstances. For example, if the child hasn’t had a nap, losing self-control is much more likely. A well rested child is typically happier.

We hear the phrase, “I couldn’t help myself;” a lot in our society. Most of us have said it at some point. It can refer to ordering a dessert to eating an entire bag of cookies. It can refer to drinking too much alcohol or making a purchase that we had no business making. It can even refer to words we had no business saying to someone. The phrase itself can seem rather harmless. But, is it?

When we say, “I couldn’t help myself;” we are acknowledging that we had no control, whatsoever over our actions. But, if we had no control over our actions, then who did? Now we get to the phrase, “The devil made me do it.” That’s another phrase that seems harmless. Most of us have uttered that as well at some point. When we say something like that, we don’t really believe we have succumbed to some sort of demonic possession.

But, here again, can we really not control ourselves? The New Testament has a lot to say about self-control which isn’t really surprising when you think about it. The Old Testament had a lot of rules and laws to follow. The New Testament is centered around grace and Jesus’ call to follow him. Jesus was definitely a portrait of self-control.

Self-control is listed as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit right up there with joy and peace and love. Have you ever wondered why that may be? Why is self-control so important to Christians? For one thing, our religion doesn’t teach that if we don’t do exactly as we are told by our leadership that we will be be-headed. Our faith teaches a different way. We are to love God and love one another, when we do those two things, all of the rest falls into place.

So, how do we attain this elusive self-control? We can take a cue from our cranky toddler example. When we are over tired, Satan can get a foothold. It’s easier to lose control when we are exhausted. We can read the Bible. As I said earlier, there are a ton of examples of the importance of self-control found in it. We can surround ourselves with community who will help us with whatever we struggle with. This is why Weight Watchers works for those who are trying to lose weight and Alcoholics Anonymous works for those trying to stop drinking alcohol. Community works. Those two programs are shining examples.

A solid church community can also be helpful if we are fighting on keeping self-control in some area. Being accountable to others for our actions can really help us stay on the path to self-control.

Of course, there is prayer. We always have the ability and privilege to give to God whatever is gnawing at our souls. When we pray earnestly about something as important to our faith walk as self-control, I have no doubt He will send help. Sometimes we simply need to ask. The Bible tells us that, “The temptations in your life are no different than what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

I don’t know about you, but I find that comforting. How do you do with self-control?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

 

What Kind of Example Are We Setting?

Posted on by Wendy
This little fawn watches her mama every minute for cues on how to act.
This little fawn watches her mama every minute for cues on how to act.

As I was taking a walk last week, I came across this mama dear and her fawn. I encounter them fairly regularly in just about the same spot. My neighborhood has lots of green space and trees. We also have creeks and branches and some power lines which provide somewhat of a  wildlife sanctuary. We have many deer and my kids and I enjoy watching the little deer with spots every summer.

From watching these two, I’ve learned that the little fawn watches her mama constantly. When I walk by, if the mama stops eating and freezes as I walk by, the fawn does too. If the mama hears a car and decides to run off into the woods, the fawn follows. In the picture above, they were both watching me.

I suppose human offspring behave the same way, which can be good or bad. Human children imitate what they see, not what they hear. Not in the history of the world, has the statement, “Do what I say, not what I do.” had very lasting results. Think about it. If the kids grew up with parents who smoke, they often become smokers. If they grew up with parents who drink, they often become drinkers. This list is fairly endless.

On a positive note, kids imitate the positives too. If we pray with our kids when they grow up, they will most likely continue to pray as adults. If we are kind to each other in our homes, they will most likely be kinder human beings. If we are open about our beliefs and the importance of church and serving and we actually attend regularly and serve, our children are more likely to do the same.

As parents raising kids, we are always being watched. If we accept that premise, we may be tempted to think that after we have done our eighteen years of raising our own kids, then we are at last free to do whatever we want with no consequences. I don’t think it’s supposed to work that way.

When we claim to be Christians, the world at large is always watching us. While we may be done with the specific people God has put in our charge, we are never done modeling the Gospel. And that’s the hard part, isn’t it? We can all read it and even proclaim it, but can we live it?

The beauty of growing older is the unique wisdom that comes with it, especially if we have spent a long time seeking God with our lives. The Bible says, “Wisdom belongs to the aged and understanding to the old.” Job 12:12

That means that older people have something unique to bring to the table. Let’s face it, as Christians, we walk around with a target on our backs. We are incredibly blessed in the United States that it’s not a literal target; let’s never forget that there are people at this moment who are dying for proclaiming Jesus.

Those of us who have been on the journey with Jesus for a while and especially those who have grown old on the walk, have a responsibility to try to be truly representative of what we claim to believe. We really need to be vigilant in reading our Bibles and trying to reach out to those who are seeking, because wherever we are on this Jesus Journey, whether we are ten or a hundred, as long as we are breathing, we are not finished and the world is watching.

How are you doing at living out the Gospel message? It’s never too late to start.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

It’s Time to Ask Yourself What You Believe

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes we need to stop and ask ourselves what it is that we beleive?
Sometimes we need to stop and ask ourselves, what it is that we believe?

Over the long Labor Day weekend, Charter Communications, my cable provider was kind enough to run some awesome movies which allowed my family to do a little vegging out in front of the television. One of the movies we watched was, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade; that’s the one where Sean Connery plays Dr. Jones’ father and they are looking for the Holy Grail, which is the cup that Jesus drank out of during the Last Supper.

In the final part of the movie, they have located the grail in an intricate building/cave that has been carved into a mountain. The bad guys have already sent in three men to go forward and all have literally lost their heads. The lead bad guy tells Indiana to go and get it. He refuses. He then shoots Sean Connery who falls to the floor, bleeding to death. He reminds Indiana that the cup is supposed to offer eternal life and he has to go and get it to save his father.

As Indiana stands there trying to decide what to do, the man says, “It’s time to ask yourself, Dr. Jones, what is it that you believe?”

Of course Indiana takes the challenge and retrieves the cup and saves his dad. But, this movie really got me to thinking about that statement, “It’s time to ask yourself what is it that you believe?” That’s a good question to ponder from time to time and often a loaded one. Our beliefs sometimes change as we grow older and hopefully wiser.

Hopefully, as we grow older, we learn that the need to always be right can be destructive, just as never admitting we are wrong can be. The failure to repent can be very detrimental to our souls. Indiana’s first task when he set out to find the grail, was to figure out how, “only the penitent man could pass.” The first three who tried lost their heads.

Think about it, what position is the penitent man in? He’s on his knees. What is he doing on his knees? He’s praying for forgiveness. Then he prays for guidance and direction. I think perhaps we need more penitent men, (and women) in our world today. If we never admit we are wrong, how can we be granted forgiveness? If we don’t feel forgiven, then how can we journey on in faith?

Indiana’s next challenge was, “stepping out in faith.” He stood at the edge of a huge drop off. There was nothing between where he was and where he needed to be. To step off, would mean certain death. He could hear his father’s words as he stepped out in faith. A bridge appeared. It was there all along, but he couldn’t see it until he took the step. Isn’t that a beautiful illustration of faith? We can’t see how God will provide, but we take the step anyway, knowing that He will.

I think that perhaps if we want to really grow our faith, we need to be sure that we are truly penitent. We need to be sure that our prayers don’t look like a Christmas letter to Santa Clause. We need to be sure we sound more like the prayer Jesus taught us, “thy will be done, forgive us as we forgive others” (that one will make you cringe). Maybe we should be asking for our “daily bread” and not for a ton of material possessions and simply asking for, “deliverance from the evil one.” Matthew 6:9-13

Of course our prayers are going to be longer and more personal, but I think the Lord’s Prayer is a good template. I think regularly admitting our sins to God is vital to our faith walk. I think maybe we need to be more penitent. Maybe we should ask ourselves what it is that we believe and then try to live it. What do you think?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Surviving Spiritual Drought

Posted on by Wendy
This tree came crashing down in our yard one day last week.
This tree came crashing down in our yard one day last week.

When I looked out of my upstairs window and spotted this tree, I called to my hubby who was downstairs, and asked him if he saw the huge limb that had fallen. He came and looked and informed me it was a tree, not a limb. In my defense, we do have a lot of very large trees and I was kind of far away, and yes, it may be time to schedule a visit with the eye doctor.

He immediately knew which tree it was. He had tried to take it down himself, but at the time, it wouldn’t budge. That’s the tricky thing about trees. When they die, they die from the inside out. We can’t tell what’s happening on the outside, so we can be oblivious to their slow destruction until they fall on our house.

Thankfully, this one didn’t fall on the house or the deck, but closer inspection of it, really made me think.

There were no roots on this tree. They were completely dead.
There were no roots on this tree. They were completely gone.

The roots on this tree were completely dead. There wasn’t even a stump left, just a hole in the ground where a rather nice size tree had once stood. I don’t know what killed it. I do know a tree can’t live without roots. Georgia was in many years of drought and many trees in our neighborhood have been stressed and died. Prolonged drought can be extremely dangerous for trees.

Unfortunately, our spiritual lives can become like this tree if we aren’t diligent. Whether we have been raised in church or find Jesus later in our lives, we are all susceptible to life’s droughts. We weather relationship failures, divorce, job loss, illness, the loss of loved ones or infertility. There are so many hardships in life that can lead to spiritual drought that there’s just no way I could list them all here.

The point is, there are many situations that can lead us into drought. Sometimes they aren’t even life altering circumstances. Sometimes we stay married, raise kids and attend church every Sunday, but we don’t really seek God or His will for our lives. Sometimes, our spirituality slowly dies without us even knowing it. We don’t leave worship services on fire and ready to change the world. We just leave worship services, complacent and check it off of our to-do list. We can be slowly dying spiritually and not even know it because we are in spiritual drought.

The good news is, unlike that dead tree that had no choice in its fate, we do have a choice. At any moment, we can decide to search for something more and there’s so much available. We can pray for forgiveness for turning away from God to start off with and for guidance on this journey. We can dust off that old Bible and read it. We can follow along with Bible studies and blogs online. There are so many to choose from and there are so many people who struggle with this. We can find a church home and then a group or Sunday school class to plug into. We can serve others in some way. We can seek a mentor. We can find a new fresh church home if that’s what we need to do.

The bottom line is if we are in a season of drought, we must make changes and we must seek Jesus if we want to reverse our deterioration. He is really the only one who can guarantee restoration. Jesus said, “But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

I don’t know about you, but fresh bubbling streams sound pretty good and it’s all there just for us. We only have to ask. If you are in a season of drought, I hope you will take Jesus up on his offer. The invitation is always open.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Stops and Starts

Posted on by Wendy
Sometimes if we want to hear God and experience the fruits of the Holy Spirit, we have to be obedient to God's gentle nudging.
Sometimes if we want to hear God and experience the fruits of the Holy Spirit, we have to be obedient to God’s gentle nudging.

When I was planning on exercising in the middle of last week, it had been a few days. I was completely off any sort of schedule and was itching to get outside and sweat a little. When I walk, I walk briskly and sometimes jog between mailboxes for good measure. My path is right at two miles and that works beautifully for me. I have no desire to train for a marathon, triathlon or iron man, thank-you very much. I just want to stay in decent shape.

I kept having this nudge to bring my camera along. I didn’t want to bring my camera because it’s kind of big and I have to hold onto it in one hand and I can’t get a good rhythm going when I’m holding it. Furthermore, if I’m going to stop and take pictures along the way, that too, requires stopping.

However, I had really been in prayer about my blog posts. I had felt kind of empty over the past couple of weeks and had been praying for inspiration. God often inspires me through the things I see on my walks. As I write this, taking my camera, really seems like a no-brainer. But, at the time, I struggled with it. I wanted to keep my rhythm and my time and therein lies the rub right?

Me, my, and mine are perhaps three of the most dangerous words to our journey with God. Think about it. How many times does it come down to our own will for our lives versus His will? I call myself trying to be obedient and trying to listen for His voice. I lament when He won’t give me those burning bush moments with specific instructions. Yet, here I was, with a very easy request to follow. “Take your camera.”

I wonder how many prayers we think go unanswered, really are answered. We just think God is not listening and responding because He doesn’t do it in the way that we would like for Him to. How many times do we miss the answers because we aren’t obedient to gentle and quiet nudging.

I finally gave in that day and was rewarded richly for my obedience. I felt like I saw God everywhere I looked and I snapped photo after photo. There were many post ideas that came out of that simple nudging. I have already shared a few with you and have had more comments than ever about how you were touched by the message.

My obedience to such a simple nudge had the Holy Spirit flowing. Perhaps if we would like to experience more of the fruits of the Spirit, like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, we need to be obedient to those gentle promptings that we know in our heart come from God.

Perhaps we need to be willing to walk to His rhythm and not our own, realizing that stopping and starting, is part of the journey, whether we like it or not. It’s not about racing to the finish. It’s about learning to listen for His voice and appreciating the trip.

How do you do with stops and starts? I’d love to hear from you.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

 

Sticks and Stones…

Posted on by Wendy
Words can be just as dangerous as sticks and stones.
Words can be just as dangerous as sticks and stones.

When I was growing up, we used to say, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I suppose as a child I really believed that. Young children often say mean things to one another. I guess I really never gave it too much thought when I was younger. By middle and high school though, words can really start to wound, often as badly as those proverbial sticks and stones.

I would imagine that there have been as many fights and wars started over words than for any other reason. Why is it that we take our awesome ability to communicate with each other and turn it into something ugly and hurtful?

Now that I have a child in high school, the words are flying. Everyone has something to say about somebody else, and quite often, it’s not very nice and sometimes downright ugly.

Hurtful words can sometimes be like that paper cut that we get; they aren’t really serious, but they hurt every time you wash your hands or take a shower. For a few days at least, that tiny cut is ever-present in your thoughts. After a little while it heals and we move on, but we don’t forget. Of course sometimes, words can wound much more deeply and can damage relationships and the people in them permanently.

Maybe our use of hurtful words stem from fear. Maybe we are afraid that the person we are talking about will take something away from us. Maybe they come from judgement. We are all fairly masterful at judging others. Perhaps they come from our own hearts that aren’t pure like they should be. I once heard a pastor say that if we sought to have a pure heart that seeks God, all of the rest would fall into place.

The Bible has a ton to say about our tongues and the words we use. The Book of Psalms uses words like swords and razors to describe the destructive capabilities of our tongues. It says our words can be used like arrows. Jesus said in Matthew 15:10-11, “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

Ouch! So, what we say actually has an impact on our purity of heart. But, what if that person really is a bad person? What if we just need to vent?

Sometimes we need to talk things out. We are made that way. But, there’s a difference between talking things out and pure old gossip. When someone is acting in a way that is clearly wrong, maybe instead of calling our best friend and talking about her, we should pray for her, talk to God about her or him instead. Maybe we could reach out to that person and see if we can help in some way.

Isn’t that what we are called to do? Aren’t we supposed to love one another? Is that unbelievably hard? Yes. Does God know that it’s hard? Yes. Will we fail? Yes. Will God forgive us when we fail? Yes. Should we try anyway? Yes.

As I counsel my fifteen-year-old on her use of words, I’m really forced to take a look at my own use of them. I think this is just one more way God uses our children to convict us. It’s always fairly easy  to look at others and their mistakes, but rarely as easy to look at our own. Who ever said the journey would be easy? I think that thinking before we speak, is probably worth a try.

What do you think?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂

Be Careful What You Plant

Posted on by Wendy
My mom thought hat planting pampas grass at her pool was a good idea at the time.
My mom thought that planting pampas grass at her pool was a good idea at the time.

A few years ago, my parents installed a huge, industrial type fence around their pool. My mama was desperately looking for something to soften and camouflage that fence. I had seen some pampas grass at a pool I visited. It looked beachy, kind of like sea oats and it was cheap. They planted a lot of it and it came in beautifully. It did a fantastic job of hiding the fence. Unfortunately, the thicker it got, it also did an awesome job of hiding snakes.

After they had a record-setting year of snakes in their pool, and mama saw a six-foot black snake simply disappear in the grass one day, they decided the pampas grass had to go. The thing is, once that grass gets established, it’s nearly impossible to remove it. They tried everything from bush hogging it to burning it. It was an uphill battle. They did finally get it, but it was very difficult.

Mint is another one of those seemingly innocent garden herbs that grow extremely well.
Mint is another one of those seemingly innocent garden herbs that grow extremely well.

Mint is another one of those, you have to be careful with, plants. Who doesn’t love mint? It’s great in tea and mint juleps and mojitos. It grows beautifully here in the deep south, but you had better plant it in a pot. If you plant it in the ground, it will take off like wildfire. It’s very invasive and very difficult to get rid of

So, how do you know what and what not to plant? The best answer is usually a relative. There’s usually someone who is closely related to you, who can be a good mentor. But, a garden mentor doesn’t have to be someone who shares our blood. A mentor can be a friend or neighbor. There’s always somebody who knows something about growing things.

We have to be careful in our spiritual lives too about what we plant in our own hearts and minds, as well as in the hearts and minds of people around us. For example, if our church is struggling and we are frustrated and we start spouting off things like, “I hate organized religion.” That thought may take root in our children’s minds or our spouse’s heart. Then when God heals that church or tries to plant us elsewhere, the damage is done. Our family no longer wants to attend church and we know that Jesus loves the church.

There are many other examples like carrying around anger and refusing to forgive others or constantly losing patience with those around us. When we do these things over and over, they begin to take root and can spread like wildfire like the mint or grow so deep that they are nearly impossible to root out, like the pampas grass.

The good news is that Jesus always wants to meet us where we are and help us get on track and the Holy Spirit has some wonderful fruits like peace, patience, kindness and joy to share when we seek them. We also have a loving Heavenly Father who will send Godly mentors our way if we ask and watch for them.

We get to choose what we will plant. It can be beautiful and fruitful or it can provide hiding places for snakes. It really is up to us. What will you plant today?

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂