Saturday, May 26, 2007

Intentional Living

Got up at 7am and hit the front flower bed with a vengenance. Over the years, gardening has been a constant source of reflection on my spiritual growth. There's something about a quiet morning, before the sun warms the day, that just calms my soul . . . when I allow it. I'm sad to say, at times, I've allowed my perfectionist tendencies to rob me of the joy that comes with gardening. I've viewed it as a chore, rather than a life-giving perogative. I'm trying to return to gardening as a pleasure.

Isn't it amazing that weeds need no encouragement whatsoever to grow? I mean, one day you think you have things under control . . . newly planted bed rests peacefully under a rich layer of mulch. Within a day or two, the weeds are back, rearing their ugly heads. Hey, who invited you?

But the beautiful things . . . they must be worked intentionally. You have to pick out your plants at a greenhouse, or plant the seeds yourself. You pick the perfect spot and plant them carefully. Water them. Deadhead. Prune.

That's why, when it comes to flowers, I'm a big fan of perennials. I want the stuff that lasts from year to year. Annuals are fun. They provide those quick bursts of color and they certainly have their place in my garden. But my preference, my first love, is my perennials. They don't last forever . . . some only 2-3 years. But once they're established, I'm free to tend to the annuals . . . and fight the weeds that force their way in.

In my life, I want to be living intentionally. The negative stuff, the sin, will grow on it's own, without any help from me! I want to be planting good things in my life, on purpose. And I want my growth to be perennial - not just bursts of emotional bloom, but the kind of growth that lasts from year to year.

NOTE: Not to be deceptive or anything - the above picture is from a few years ago. About all I got done yesterday was remove self-propagating weeds!

9 comments:

Barb said...

Perfect analogy, Dianne. Honestly, it's amazing how much time I spend fighting the "weeds." They're so persistent! But...they can be overcome. So far, I'm winning. :-)

Unknown said...

OH! I LOVED THIS! What a great picture of our hearts and our spirits. To live perennially ... or something like that.

I agree with you Dianne. I think we could be great friends. We have a lot of the same spiritual bents. The early mornings in the quiet of the garden.

Your flower bed looks lovely by the way. The color is vibrant and welcoming ... and I might add ... happy. Have a great weekend.

Susanne said...

I just love when God teaches us through things like gardens. Everyday things that speak to me. Thanks for sharing this with us Dianne.

Fishing Without Worms said...

Oh Di, how beautiful your flowers look! It excites me that your love of flowers came from Daddy just like his love of flowers came from his Dad.
You are a blessing to both of us!

Tami said...

I tend to think of myself as the tumbleweed blown about by the wind, so the reminder to live intentionally hit home. How do you live this each day? What does it look like for you?

gail@more than a song said...

I loved this! So true that the bad stuff kinda grows on it's own.

Your flowers are beautiful Dianne!
They look so colorful and healthy....I need some help with mine!

Islandsparrow said...

I'm blogging gardens too Dianne!

My favorites are perennials too. I always add an annual or two to fill in the spaces but I build my garden around my perennials.

I like the spiritual lesson. Good thoughts! Thanks - I'll be thinking about this when I'm out weeding :)

Unknown said...

I agree so much. I have tried so hard lately to be intentional with my time.

Katrina @ Callapidder Days said...

Great post. I've got weeds in my garden right now... and some negatives I need to deal with in my heart. Thanks for the encouragement to focus on building in the positive, the beautiful, the lasting.