ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

Yesterday was the first day back in my garden for quite a while. The weeds are thriving with all the rain, humidity and steamy air, so it was a full day of pulling weeds. I grew up in the city – an apartment dweller for most of those years. The only flowers were those brought home by dad for mom on Mother’s Day, Valentines Day, or their anniversary. There may have been a scraggly houseplant here and there, but never a full-sized garden. The things we thought we’d never do, may change over time. Those alterations tend to shape us.

I never dreamed I’d write poetry someday. I didn’t realize I could be a good mother. I wasn’t confident in speaking one on one with others. I struggled at being a good wife. We all have things that we feel we’re not good at or capable of doing. I’ve learned in many years of living, that if we don’t try, we’ll never know if we can or cannot do anything. Traveling through life we learn many lessons. God provides challenges for us. If we can overcome the little things, we move on to bigger obstacles. It’s all part of the growing up process which I hope I never do.

Being in my garden is therapeutic for me. It is time when I can hear the voice of God all around me – in the songs of the birds, the smell of newly mown grass, the discovery of an ant colony that busily works together. I can see His handiwork throughout the entire process. When seeds grow into flowers, new life comes with it. Pulling weeds can be like yanking out some of the ickiness of a bad day. Search for your gifts. You may be surprised that even those things that you thought were liabilities can be useful. You have so much to give this world. We need people like you to shape the future. You can do so by using your gifts for the benefit of others.

That first glimmer of light at dawn – when God kisses the mountain tops,

Waking the life from pleasant sleep, refreshing with morning dew drops,

The stillness of morning’s first light, explodes like a heavenly sight,

The sky turns to glorious shades of blue, as daylight replaces the night.

Reflections of His perfect world, are seen in that early sunrise,

Creation sings at His command, becoming a sight for the eyes,

He captures the light of the sun, brings warmth to the earth with His breath,

He fulfills every earthly need, He protects us even after death.

THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR ANOTHER DAY