OVERNIGHT

OVERNIGHT

Evidenced in my “Seasons for a Reason” book, I find many life lessons in my flower gardens and in nature.  As I stood looking down at the bare ground that had been covered by a blanket of colorful flowers just one day before, I knew  there was something to learn from this devastation. “That’ll preach,” Michael and I say to each other often when we see a story in something.  The “deer incident” discussed below pretty much mirrored the summer I was having emotionally.  Husband Michael has been down for over three months with a back injury and our lifestyle has been so altered (temporarily) by one turn of events.     

Every evening darkness descends, and for the most part, our world is still and quiet. After a few hours, the light returns and pushes the darkness to the horizon to wait until time for nightfall again. Over and over, the cycle continues and each new day brings new challenges and blessings.  Darkness/Light. Night/Day. Labor/Rest. Chaos/Calm. 

Imagine my astonishment this summer morning when I walked out to my gardens to observe the blooms and beauty, only to discover that the deer had eaten ALL my flowers.  ALL is a little exaggeration, but they had devoured 90% of the ones outside the fence and 100% of the ones in my two newest beds.  All the hard work (sweat!), the purchasing of plants, the digging, the planting, the watering, the caring.  And now in ONE night – GONE! Irreplaceable in this season. Tears were shed, but to no avail – tears won’t grow any blooms back.  Deer had eaten the plants all the way to the dirt, and uprooted some.  And… this was a week after I caught the rodent who had been eating my patio flowers. For about two weeks running, I had gone out to the patio each morning to find another plant with blooms eaten totally off. 

  

Your life can change forever within one day’s time; literally overnight.  One phone call. One diagnosis from the doctor. One knock on the door. One conversation.  The light of morning can bring a whole new stage on which you are to play out the remainder of your days.

Satan roams the earth like an animal at night, trying to steal and destroy enough to make us doubt our faith. He can seemingly destroy a beautiful life in one night.  One day. One season. He doesn’t care what we have planted, watered, love and cared for.

BUT…  what Satan means for destruction, God will turn around for good.  God always offers hope into what seems to be a hopeless situation.  He gives us all the tools we need to rebuild, regroup, and even be refreshed during the new season.

I do not have the strength in the Mississippi summer heat to replant my flower beds this year, but come Spring I will be out digging, re-planting, watering and caring for more plants. Flowers and flowering shrubs bring me much happiness, so I will continue to fight the animals for my gardens. I will research what plants will survive and I will plant those.  I will seek wisdom of other gardeners and be more careful what and where I plant. 

I believe God will give me the same wisdom with my life – I will continue to study His Word daily and seek His face, His plan, His favor.  I will plant only holy things in my heart so that the fruit of His Spirit will be manifested in my interactions with others and my service to His Kingdom. I will surround myself with friends and encouragers to help strengthen my faith.

I know that after heartaches and struggles have come against me and left me worn and weary, in a matter of time my Heavenly Father will restore beauty to my spiritual garden, and He promises to pour blessings back into my life that will more than compensate for the trials I have faced. 

Our lives may change and be totally different; but God is always good!

Psalm 34:19, “A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”

Psalm 91:1-6  – “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely, he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. (Pestilence: fatal epidemic disease. Pandemic. Plague). He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. (Rampart:  fortification, as around a city.  Stone wall.  Defensive wall.  Castles had a rampart and a moat.) You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.”

Psalm 91:14-16 – “ ‘Because he loves me,” says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.  He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.’ “

Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart.  I have overcome the world.”

Rebecca (Becki) Logue

Author, "Seasons for a Reason"

and "Eat It and Hush!"

www.rebeccalogue.com