by jphilo | Oct 9, 2009 | Daily Life
The lone cosmos in my flower garden ran out of oomph this year. It came up by seed, and I moved it behind the shorter plants on the west side of the garage, near where it’s parent had lived a full life the previous year. But this love child took it’s own sweet time to reach maturity, kind of like it thought the warm weather would last forever. The pokey plant put off setting buds until a few days ago. Finally, this morning, the first flower bloomed, shivering with cold.
Alas, the blossom is a one day wonder. With a hard frost predicted for tonight and snow for tomorrow, it doesn’t have much time. Thankfully, the sun came out this morning, so it’s short life will be pleasant. But the puny flower is a mockery perched atop the huge plant that created it. And the wasted potential of the buds doomed to die without blooming dampened my spirits. Because some days, I know, I am like the errant cosmos.
How much potential have I wasted, thinking I had plenty of time, thinking things would never change? How many opportunities have I put off, assuming they would still be there tomorrow? How much beauty has been lost? How many relationships squandered?
The cosmos didn’t grace my fall garden with it’s cheerful pink promise. Instead it reminded me of the swift passage of time, the brevity of life, the fleeting days given me to complete God’s work God. That’s not the life I intended for the seedling I transplanted last July. But I accept its unintended grace with gratitude.
The grace of urgency.
The grace of purpose.
The grace of mortality.
by jphilo | Jun 23, 2009 | Daily Life
I was up with the birds this morning, but at 6:30 was already seventy-seven degrees and humid as all get out. Walking was pure torture, and sweat dripped into my eyes and soaked my clothes. Yuck!
Since the temperature will most likely hit the high nineties today, I decided to divert my normal bent to complaining about the weather and make a list of things I can be grateful for on hot days. Here goes:
1. I live in the age of air conditioning, refrigerators, and ice cream
2. Lemonade, iced tea and iced coffee
3. Water
4. Our CSA share – someone else picks our vegetables in this heat!
5. The promise of a good sweet corn season
6. Sleeveless shirts and capris
7. A husband who doesn’t mind cold suppers
8. Shade trees
9. An indoor job
10. A four season climate
11. A week of vacation in the Idaho mountains
Truly, I have so much to be grateful for, even on hot days. What’s on your list?
by jphilo | Sep 20, 2007 | Out and About
Last night I interviewed two girls. They live about six miles from me, and the trip to their house should have been an easy one. Except that I turned west when the directions said east. By the time I got turned the right way, I was ten minutes late for the interview.
The visit with the girls, ages 11 and 15, made my wanderings worthwhile. They came to the United States from Russia five years ago when they were adopted by a local family. The stories they told about the changes they’ve endured – learning a new language, adjusting to a new culture and leaving their birth country behind – were astounding. Yet these girls were grateful for the changes and their new life, though they miss the grandmother they left behind.
On my way home, I noticed that the soybean fields have all turned from green to brown this past week. The assurance of expected changes of seasons steadied me as I drove up my familiar driveway. And I wondered if, the next time my life turns a new direction, I will accept the change with as much gratitude as did the two young girls with whom I shared an early fall evening.
