Quote: Faith is the soul riding at anchor. –Henry Wheeler Shaw (Josh Billings)
Pansies and petunias were in full bloom throughout the city. In only one more month the hot Phoenix sun would burn them dry. I was late. I began work to restore my garden with only two weeks left in the prime spring season. This was just the kind of urgency to show off my dual talents: organization and perseverance.
I grabbed shovels and rakes just as the sun came up each morning and worked until the pink glow of sunset faded to gray. Body muscles surprised by any kind of exercise at all retaliated with full-blown pain. I burned them into submission under the pulsing heat of a hot shower each night. 
At the nursery, I avoided the final packs of pansies and sought out summer flowers and vegetables suitable for our six month dry sauna climate. I knew I could catch up on the growing season if I checked the nursery each morning for new shipments, picking out tomato and pepper transplants four to six inches high, mature but not yet root bound in their tiny plastic pots.
I hunted down hidden shady spots for basil and cilantro seeds, hoping to coax out some late spring herbs. With no time to spare, I planted all the yellow squash seeds in the packet. Heaven knows, we didn’t need that many plants, but there was no time to replant if they didn’t sprout. Best go for broke.
For ten days I planted seeds and flowers with great expectation. The smell of moist soil in the morning confirmed the success of repairs to our water system. In the next week, I watered, paced, and surveyed my handiwork. It felt good to invite visitors to walk through a garden of color and order.
Now came the hard part. What talent I had for organizing and executing the Great Garden Recovery was equally matched by my greater weakness: a short attention span. Just as seeds sprouted and plants started to thrive, competing interests started working to pull me away from the garden.
Concerts, writers meetings, lunches with friends, books to read, stories to write, dinner to make, son’s trumpet lessons, shopping trips with daughter, e-mail…Moment by moment, day by day, I was tempted to turn my attention out of the garden and leave my precious plants to fend for themselves. Meanwhile, in total dependence, the plants in my garden waited for me to guard their welfare with daily loyalty and care. 
I’m reminded of my debt to the Lord for his unswerving love and devotion. Loyalty is the great protector of life. God is loyal to us. How I would wilt and fade if it weren’t for His ever-present love!
And what an honor it is to sing His praise each and every day! Today’s song of love is not meant to last forever. It is a renewable gift, received daily from God and owed back to him with loyal devotion.
Scripture: My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. [Psa 57:7-9]
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Meditations: In the Garden
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