The calendar may say June, but Mother Nature still has Northern Idaho stuck in spring. Or, maybe it’s fall already, I hope not! It’s a toasty 56° and cloudy right now. We have a short growing season up here anyway, I’m worried if we’ll get much to harvest. One weather forecast shows back to normal temperatures in the 80’s for next week, but then right back in to the 60’s and 70’s the following week. On the good side, it’s keeping my water bill down!
By the calendar, time to prune the lilacs is quickly coming to an end, but they are still flowering so hopefully I won’t miss the small window of opportunity. I’ve had buds on my peonies for weeks that aren’t even close to opening, weeds taking over everything and seedlings that haven’t grown an inch. Strawberries are showing off little green berries and a few miniscule tomatoes. We usually have an abundance of cherries to pick for our 4th of July celebration, I hope they’ll be ready.
All of this just shows me how little in control of things I am. I plan and plan and plan, and someone else has other ideas. I can’t control the weather, I can barely control the weeds, but I can control seeing how beautiful the flowers are and will be, anticipating that first strawberry, looking forward to the cherry picking we always do as a family. I can enjoy the butterflies and birds and even our crazy family of squirrels. I can control not letting a lost or small harvest upset me and to be thankful for everything we do have. While ultimately everything is in God’s hands, I can control my decision to find joy or find discouragement. I mindfully choose joy and I am so grateful for that gift.
Lessons are everywhere, if we just look for them. They appear when and where we least expect them, and often are used to teach us what we didn’t know we needed to learn.
You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! ~ Psalm 118:28-29 (ESV)
