Do You See What I See?

I know it's hot, but put on a hat, a good dash of sunscreen and come walk around my yard with me. It may not look like much compared to the meticulously groomed lawns you've seen before, but it holds many treasures.

You see, when I look at the flowers I coax into growing and blooming, I don't just see a flower. I see God. And since I'm watering them most days now, I see God a lot. God's word speaks to me through His creation. Come, let's take a look.

Here's Wyatt with some night roses; we usually miss their blossoms because they pop open suddenly after dark and close each morning with the rising sun. They remind me of the parable of the 10 virgins and of our coming King: "But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'...Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour" (Matt. 25:6,13).

And here's my hydrangea. Did you know the flowers can be pink or blue depending on the PH of the soil it grows in? Soil can affect a plant's proper growth, just like in the parable of the sower: "But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (Matt. 13:23).

This is a variegated ground cover. I can't seem to recall its name just now, but it thrives out here in the sun by my front walk. It reminds me of what the throne room of God will look like in Heaven, filled with a multitude of variegated peoples: "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,'Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb'” (Rev. 7:9-10).

Here's the volunteer tomato plant that sprouted when I was pregnant. It miraculously survived the winter in the greenhouse with me watering it only when I remembered (which wasn't often with newborn twins). Wouldn't you love a taste? So far, Wyatt has eaten every tomato. God expects me to plant myself in Him and grow fruit, too: "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked...But his delight is n the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers" (Psalm 1:1-3).

Oh, this is my day lily--a freebie with some basil seed my mother in law gave me. I only get to enjoy the blossom for one day before it's gone. God's word is the opposite of this flower: "The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever" (Is. 40:8).

Here is my rose bush that I had to patiently wait on for three years before it bloomed. It calms me when I want to ask God why He doesn't come back now to take us all home to heaven: "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

And here is my Amelia Rose, one of the flowers I've labored the hardest for: "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,So are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them" (Ps. 127:3-5). With three such precious flowers, my "quiver" (or vase) is full.

I'd really like to take a walk with you around your yards, too. What does our Lord show you? What words does He speak to your heart? I don't think I know enough bloggy people to make this a contest, but if you'd like to take us on a walk with you, too, I will give you all until Wednesday of next week (June 25), and hopefully by then, I'll have several of you participating so I can post a link to your blog posts. Just email the link to me.