Killing Ivy

I don't want to die!

"Rosalyn, this is Mom," my answering machine played back. "I'm calling to give you permission to water your ivy today." 

One year, I bought an ivy. My mom visited, saved it from death, and then called periodically to tell me I could water it. Otherwise, I would have killed it. 

In a week. 

Another year, my mom secured a position for me at the greenhouse she managed. It didn't last long. Every ten minutes I had to run to wash off the dirt. Icky stuff.

Knowing my past, I have come to the conclusion that God has a sense of humor. Why else would he have given me the job of being a farmer's wife? 

And I'm not sure what surprises me more this year: That I enjoy my garden, or that it's still alive. 

In tracing back how those miracles occurred, aside from divine intervention, I realized that all those years of failure had added up to two important missing ingredients: experience and choosing a positive attitude. 

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And so goes our spiritual lives.

For each success, there are a dozen failures. Each failure is a lesson, just as each success reinforces. And my attitude is the water that makes the whole thing take root in my heart.

Colossians 1:9-12 reminds me to apply the same concepts to my life. In verse 10, I'm encouraged to keep at it, cultivating my faith, and as I learn how God works, I will learn how to do my work. 

The verses go on to remind me to check my attitude - am I going at my life (spiritual, family, gardening) with a ' just get it over with' attitude - if so, I'm missing out on the power that God gives me when I choose to have a 'yes, Lord!' attitude. 

It's through that power that I am given the strength to do the tasks he's set out for me, and He gives endurance and patience to complete the tasks. (Two very necessary gardener character traits.) 

Lastly, as I become thankful for the success AND the failures, I am aware that all my experiences are used to develop my relationship with God. As my mentor Nina Roesner constantly reminds me, 'Nothing is wasted.' 

So what does your life-garden look like these days? Faith Life. Farm Life. Garden Life. Child-rearing Life. Work Life. Church Life. Married Life. Single Life.

Success, failure - both are necessary to create the experience you'll need for the next round. None of it wasted. Smile, choosing to have a thankful heart. Then watch your life bloom.

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