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!