"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." 

Of course we all know this quotation.  But what if, just momentarily, we consider GOD "THE BEHOLDER"?

Let me try that again.......

Like this:

At the beginning of that first  Spring season after my Ken passed away, daily I would stand at the big window glowering  at our back yard landscaping.

How patheticus!

Pitiful

Neglected

But not without  good reason, I assure you! With Ken having been  ill for so long there had been no time or energy  - or interest - in flower beds! And now, without him...

Who cares! 

For what!

For whom!

So from sheer neglect,

Weeds

 Boston Ivy

 Wild Ginger

Creeping Jenny

invaded the once fragrant roses and huge Hosta plants, and choked the very life out of them! And what didn't get choked got chewed by those nasty little beetles!

Overwhelmed,  I slouched into the nearest chair,  helpless and defeated, enveloped by  those "Wang Wang Blues"!

"Lord", I grumbled,  "I'm just not in the mood for this!  What in the world... HOW am I supposed to fix this mess!!"

Now may I share how the Lord helps me out through His gift of creativity --

Like this:

FLASH!  (God's Light bulb!) "Hmmm... I just wonder... Do you suppose I could create a page for my website about this once beautiful back yard gone bad...  maybe... well, what if I were to tackle just one  flower bed at a time, maybe one each week... Only take a month... Spruce things up, take some photographs to show the progress... Hmmm... Perhaps think of it as a Makeover?"

YES!!

(Eat your heart out Home and Garden Channel!)

With an unexpected surge of energy I hurried to the laundry room, found my faded hat and  gloves. Better not get this pale skin burned first day out! So I grabbed the  clean shirt  from the hanger    for protection from the noonday sun. 

"The White Shirt" © By Mary Beatty

I rolled  the sleeves a little, invigorated by the idea, and got started! What I had dreaded became a fun possibility! I had a goal. Just one flower bed at a time. A knee-bending, backbreaking purpose! The exercise which is normally only a dirty word is just what I need! As I

Pulled

 Planted

 and

Pinched -

Ached

 Moaned

and

  Groaned

there came to mind a few  nudgings from His heart to mine...................

Like this:

Buried in the first scruffy flower bed I stumbled upon the hand cutter I had lost two years ago! It had been stuck in that same spot through

 Rain

 Snow

Sleet

Drought!

Just lying there, rusted and partially covered with mud.  I kicked it loose, carelessly tossed it toward the trash sack, then stopped short, picked it up and looked it over. Hmmm...maybe it can be saved.

FLASH!! I get it, Lord!  Isn't this how you see me when I've been stuck in a rut, not making heart-time for You?

 Rusty

Dirty

Dull

 Unlovely.

Of no good use to You or anyone!  Until my Master Gardner reaches down and picks  me up, lovingly brushes me off, oils my joints with Mercy and Grace, then sharpens  my wits and renews my mind!   

As I continued the

 Ugly

Backbreaking

Loathsome

chore of weeding (Lord, I know you said to be thankful in ALL things...), I tackled the next area. It was obviously a losing battle. The ground was

Hard

and

Dry.

The weeds snapped off as I tugged at them, leaving their roots stubbornly intact.

This is a  waste of time!  Just have to do it again when the nasty little things spring right back up! Guess I better hook up the watering hose........

FLASH!! I get it, Lord! Isn't this how you "behold" me with all these

Shortcomings

 and

Ugly thoughts!

You know how I try desperately to take care of things myself. But my resolutions  are

Weak

 and

Shallow.

Lord, soften this crusty heart with the water of Your Word. Pluck out the

Rubble

and

Evil

 roots and all!

from the deepest recesses of my innermost being!

Never to show their offensive faces in your Signature Designer Garden --

Ever again!

And I thank you, Lord, for not giving up on me!

The task ahead of us is never
as great as the Power behind us!

To view the "AFTER" of this "Makeover"

 (which took all summer)

WALK WITH ME BEYOND THE GARDEN GATE !

Original Pastel Painting: The White Shirt

20" x 16" Canson Paper

© by Mary Beatty

My flower gardens, words and photos

 By A Wannabe Artist/writer/photographer