Beauty and Terror

Garden Lessons ~ Extension Classes
 
 I woke up today to a hearty blanket of frost.  For some of you, that might not seem like a big deal, but for those of us who live near coastal waters, it's both beautiful and terrible.  The glistening crystals sparkle in the morning sun, creating a pleasing glow on my little corner of the world.  But their beauty hides the terror of what lies underneath.

Ice crystals, no matter how gorgeous, can wreck havoc on tender cells of a plant not accustomed to protecting itself from the these frozen tentacles.   I had the foresight last night to protect my every-growing collection of succulents, but the rest of the garden was on its own.  The terrible truth of the matter is some of my plants will succumb to the ice and not make it through winter.  Others will look like they have been destroyed as their outer surfaces will be blackened and shriveled, but the inner life of the plant has been protected and will not only survive, but flourish in warmer weather.  And some are built of sturdier stock, able to withstand this icy onslaught with little to no damage, looking no worse for wear.

What have I learned?  The obvious answer is to see beyond the outer attraction of a plant and look deeper into its genetics.  As pretty or pleasing as it may be, it needs to flourish in the uncertainty of our increasingly colder winters.  I have also learned that some plants, while not loving the cold, can be sustained with help during the short periods when they would normally not survive.  Some of those plants are worthy of my attention, and some are not.

So true of my own life choices ~ whether it be people, places, thoughts or things.  I need to know when and what to cut down, to care for tenderly or just not engage in the first place as pleasing as it may seem.

It's also a call to look at myself.  Can I sufficiently weather the inevitable storms of life and  survive?  Do my personal DNA and life experiences take me beyond survival to a place of personal growth?  Can I thrive on my own or do I choose to partner with a God in whom I say I believe and trust?  Do I have faith that I am on a wonderful journey beyond my imagining?


Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. - Hebrews 11:1