The images below are from my parents' garden and Amore's. The text is "In the Garden" by Charles Austin Miles, which my maternal grandmother played and sang often. Some may criticize the hymn as too sentimental or romantic, but I like it, in part because the garden is one place I enjoy being quiet with the Lord, a place of spiritual whitespace (perhaps because I'm not the one tasked with the actual work. . . smile).
When all is said and done, He is the true rest, joy, and beauty of our lives, whether we find ourselves in a garden or a cubicle; neck-deep in laundry or ankle-deep in desert sand; encumbered with decisions or imprisoned by illness or the justice system. Every place, every circumstance is open to His voice. Every heart can be a place of His song. Every life in Christ has a ministry to offer a hurting world.
I pray these photos give you a breath of rest and the Lord's peace in the midst of whatever your day holds.
I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.
He speaks, and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing;
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.
I'd stay in the garden with Him
Tho' the night around me be falling;
But He bids me go; thro' the voice of woe,
His voice to me is calling.
~Charles Austin Miles (1868-1946)
Thank You, Lord, for the beauty and artistry of Your creation,
for substantial progress in my shoulder rehab in the last week,
for husband, parents, and a Bible study friend providing me transportation,
for getting to know the lovely young lady interning with my physical therapist right now,
for stable retina health and vision over the last 15 months,
for strength for 3 medical appointments in 2 days,
for alerting us to a changing mole so we could get a biopsy right away,
for a second lost dental filling,
for assistance with 2 more meals (really 4, including leftovers),
for Mezzo's move completed,
for a grocery delivery,
for messy progress in the renovation of "our" neighborhood pond,
for working air conditioning in hot June weather,
for a successful first drive around the neighborhood 20 days after shoulder surgery,
for a Bible-study friend's successful surgery and hopeful outcome,
for 2 nights of good sleep this week,
for Amore's hard work toward setting up a network back-up solution in our home,
for one of the lab do-overs coming back normal the second time (The other is still pending.),
and for a summer Bible study with the Living Proof blog community. (Anyone else doing this one?)
(2014 gratitude journal #1491-1509)
