I went to the gardens yesterday. It had been a few days since I have been able to dig. I enjoy walking through the gardens to “survey” the bulbs before I decide what to dig next……and there, on the ground, was my Grandmother’s Bible Verse memory card……
“The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.”
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
The little card survived 10 foot high flood waters, getting the house mucked out, bulldozers and enormous piles of debris. The little card also survived a wind storm a few days ago that ripped the tin off my “ugly, leaning, half-built potting shed”.
And yet, there it was. Covered in dirt, but the words as clear as day…..almost as if it was placed there just for me. Long ago, I had a music theory teacher that always asked the class “Clear as mud?” It never made since until now.
I found the card, and the verse, completely ironic. I’ve lost everything, and our house was destroyed…..and yet, I’m still needing to focus on the Lord, Who will provide our needs. A beautiful reminder to me that the Lord is still in the midst. In the muk. In the flooded house. In the displacement. I do not need to “want” for anything.
So many times, especially during the Christmas Season, I have been asked “What do you ‘want’?” For some reason, I have struggled to find an answer. It really shouldn’t be that hard, especially since we really don’t have anything! But on the contrary, I am so overwhelmed with finding a new house, thinking about the destroyed old house and our family’s displacement, that I really can’t think of a single ‘thing’ I want. Then, in the garden, once again, I found my peace.
The lovely truth of God’s promises.
Psalm 23….The Lord is my Shepherd. In the midst of the chaos….
He leads.
He guides.
He provides.
He restores.
He prepares.
He annoints….
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
How is it that I forget?
I start focusing on the list of things I have lost, or the unending list of things I need, that I forget the simple truth…
“The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.”
We don’t need to ‘want’, we just need to ‘be’….
Be present.
Be listening.
Be trusting.
Be faithful.
Be patient.
Be loving.
Be trusting.
Be forgiving.
Be willing.
Be at peace…..
And then, I discovered what I really want this Christmas Season…to simply ‘be’ more of those things.
“The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.”
But perhaps, a bag of compost for my bulbs would be nice. 🙂 Happy Gardening, my friends.