You Can Do It!

 

We all have challenges. Granted, some are more difficult than others, but through our lives we're going to experience some tough stuff. 

Gardening is a big part of my life right now. See my smile in the photo. I'm loving it. 

I grew up in a family that gardened. My mother had a gorgeous dahlia garden. People driving by our place would sometimes stop to admire the profusion of flowers and my mother often sent them on their way with a bouquet in hand. That garden gave her such joy.

My father worked hard at his job and when he came home, he went to work in our vegetable garden. We had less than an acre of land but managed to grow enough to feed our family of seven through the year. We worked together planting, harvesting and preserving what we grew. It was hard work, but I have many fond memories of those summer days.

After settling into a family of my own I was drawn back to what I knew when I was young. Over the years, I've made many attempts at raising vegetables. Some years I've had a plentiful crop and some not so plentiful, but I've always enjoyed my time outdoors among the plants.

This year is no exception, but I can't lie, it's getting more difficult. My seventy-year-old body is complaining, actually it's been complaining for many years due to injuries I sustained in an auto accident in 1991. Being active has been taxing for me. Staying busy can hurt, but there is something in me that refuses to give up. Some of the years between the accident and now I've been sluggish and sedentary. It just seemed too hard to do more than was necessary. And as I've aged it's become a bigger obstacle.

Three years ago, I told myself that I wasn't going to allow another day to go by when I wasn't moving. I started taking more steps, finding reasons to walk from place to place. And I began strolling through the beauty of my country neighborhood. When spring came that year, I decided to put in a garden. With the help of my husband, children and grandchildren we created one. 

It wasn't easy. The effort created more pain but getting out in the sun and working in the dirt was good for me. It was such fun to put seeds in the ground and watch them sprout and grow into edible food. It warmed me from the inside out. I had so many fun conversations with my grandchildren and heartfelt conversations with my daughters. 

I treasure those memories. And the people I love most will have those special moments to hold close when I am gone.

I want to encourage you to try harder. Reach for those things you know nurture you. If the challenges in your life have pulled you down, made you want to give up, or to curl up with a blanket in front of the television or a computer, maybe there's a better choice. Maybe it can be different. Better. 

If your challenge is a physical condition you might need to get an okay from your doctor if you want to push a little harder, but if he says okay, then do it. Oftentimes we can do more than we think. Tune out the commercials on television that try to convince us all that we're sick and need more meds. I'm not against medications, but so much of that stuff we see is more about making money than helping the human race.

God gave us the garden, He gave us the earth, He gave us His creation for our benefit. Just taking a walk out in the fresh air with the sky above us and the earth beneath our feet will raise our spirits and feed our soul. Challenging our minds and our bodies makes us stronger.

Sometimes vegging out on the sofa is what we need, but it's not all we need. What is it that you love to do that you've given up on because it seemed too difficult? Pick up again and let it nourish you. 

I can't spend hours in the garden or walk difficult trails through the forest, but I can do some of it. I thank the Lord for spurring me on to do more. And I'm continuing to seek out new delights. 

We have limited days on this planet, let's make the most of them.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie