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Print Filling Our Garden: Annuals or Perennials
by Winsome SmithI love spring! The winter is great, and the first few snows are absolutely wonderful. After a few months of it though, I am so anxious to see green grass and flowers! Rarely does a year go by when I don’t fall in love once again with nearly anything that is in bloom, and buy too much for me to deal with that day. On a number of occasions I’ve even been known to buy enough for the flower beds, and then decide to either plant additional patio pots or dig up a new area to hold “the leftovers” from my spring fling at the garden center. (We can’t let them go to waste, can we?) Whether it is the bright red tones of salvia, or a brilliant sunshine yellow of a group of Inca marigolds, the vibrant colors catch my eyes and make me smile.
When we bought our first home, suddenly the possibilities multiplied at the garden center. Not only would I wander the aisles looking at the annuals, I began to venture into the areas filled with perennials.These plants would not just bloom for a season and die; they would come back each year. Even if they looked like they’d died in the fall, the next spring I would see signs of new life coming out of the ground.
I wonder, dear one, if you were to look at the garden of your heart, would the love found there for this man be more like annual flowers or perennials? Some people have a love that is based on something temporary, and when the season passes, they find that love in short supply. Others have found that there is a strong, lasting love that characterizes the relationship. It sees beyond the surface. Somehow even when the winter winds blow and the surface feelings die, there are strong roots. Those roots, in time, shoot up fresh, vibrant blooms once again.
Your marriage will have seasons. Life’s events and external pressures will challenge you, and there may even be “snow” dumped on you. You’ll need to clear the walk, and it will take effort. Be encouraged, friend. Spring will come, and a deep love will bloom once again, if you both allow it. There may be a lot of teamwork needed. You may even need to call in help from outside. That’s okay. Don’t pull up the roots and cast it off as if it were last year’s annuals. Clear out the weeds, do the hard work (often involving communication and forgiveness), and look forward to the vibrant colors of summer once again.
Lord, I know our marriage will have some dark rainy days, as well as seasons of vibrant color . Help our love to stand the test, to weather the storms. We want our love to grow stronger each year, as we trust in You. Amen.
Winsome Smith enjoys sharing God's goodness and faithfulness with ladies in the online chat ministry at Christian Women Today.
