If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. (Deuteronomy 28:1-7)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
This promise of blessing goes on for seven more verses, and then the promise of curses begins. This morning, I desperately need to focus my mind and heart on something that doesn’t involve hatred (mine or other people’s – and I’m seeing a lot of other people’s hatred, more than is healthy for me or for them.)
But, fortunately, God blessed me this morning. After walking Grace, I toured my yard and my neighbor’s and came home with mint, Lemon Balm, Plantain, White Clover, and Dandelion greens. It was a wonderful harvest. The Dandelion greens have been blanched and are in the freezer for the next time I make soup. The rest are drying in the kitchen, which is beginning to look like a mad scientist lives in it. In addition to the things already listed, I’m trying Dandelion flowers, Thyme, and Oregano.
Some of these things were planted. The Lemon Balm was planted accidentally, years ago, and it escaped to my neighbor’s yard. I’m slowly weeding her garden, and that’s where I found the mint. Only God knows where that, the Plantain, the clover, or the Dandelions came from.
As I walk, I survey the yards and gardens that I pass. Some of them are so pretty. They’re weed-free, well mulched, clearly fertilized, limed, watered, and/or otherwise cared for on a regular basis. Then there are yards and gardens like mine. What I do plant on purpose either dies or takes over my garden, my neighbor’s garden… Anyone want some Borage or Bronze Fennel?
What does all of this have to do with today’s passage? My gardening and lawn-keeping are far from perfect. I don’t live up to the “fully obey the Lord” in terms of the yard, but by His grace, He’s blessing me coming and going, here and there, now and then, in ways I didn’t imagine. Mistakes I made years ago (the Lemon Balm) are producing blessings for me. The fabric steamer that I bought years ago and might have used once has become an invaluable blessing in my window project (even though I’m still cracking 50-year-old windows. Grrr.)
Yesterday, I wrote about encouragement. This may not be the encouragement I’d like, but after the past couple of months and after the past week's hatred, it’s encouragement that I need. The things in my life that aren’t as I think they should be – or (more importantly) might not meet someone else’s standards, through God’s grace, can bring forth blessing, where it’s not expected, in ways we’d never thought.
But, fortunately, God blessed me this morning. After walking Grace, I toured my yard and my neighbor’s and came home with mint, Lemon Balm, Plantain, White Clover, and Dandelion greens. It was a wonderful harvest. The Dandelion greens have been blanched and are in the freezer for the next time I make soup. The rest are drying in the kitchen, which is beginning to look like a mad scientist lives in it. In addition to the things already listed, I’m trying Dandelion flowers, Thyme, and Oregano.
Some of these things were planted. The Lemon Balm was planted accidentally, years ago, and it escaped to my neighbor’s yard. I’m slowly weeding her garden, and that’s where I found the mint. Only God knows where that, the Plantain, the clover, or the Dandelions came from.
As I walk, I survey the yards and gardens that I pass. Some of them are so pretty. They’re weed-free, well mulched, clearly fertilized, limed, watered, and/or otherwise cared for on a regular basis. Then there are yards and gardens like mine. What I do plant on purpose either dies or takes over my garden, my neighbor’s garden… Anyone want some Borage or Bronze Fennel?
What does all of this have to do with today’s passage? My gardening and lawn-keeping are far from perfect. I don’t live up to the “fully obey the Lord” in terms of the yard, but by His grace, He’s blessing me coming and going, here and there, now and then, in ways I didn’t imagine. Mistakes I made years ago (the Lemon Balm) are producing blessings for me. The fabric steamer that I bought years ago and might have used once has become an invaluable blessing in my window project (even though I’m still cracking 50-year-old windows. Grrr.)
Yesterday, I wrote about encouragement. This may not be the encouragement I’d like, but after the past couple of months and after the past week's hatred, it’s encouragement that I need. The things in my life that aren’t as I think they should be – or (more importantly) might not meet someone else’s standards, through God’s grace, can bring forth blessing, where it’s not expected, in ways we’d never thought.
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