Lessons from my Garden
Yesterday morning, a wonderful friend had offered to come out and help with one of my tasks: removing the carpet that had kept out weeds for me all summer. However, when I woke up Saturday morning and saw the snow covered garden, I was not hopeful. In fact, I felt rather dismal. I told my hubby to let our friend know not to come because surely the carpet would be one frozen mass and we’d need to wait another 2-3 weeks before I had any chance of getting the garden ready for planting. My hubby thought otherwise, and ignored my general grumpiness (he is a good hubby).
Our friend arrived, in the snow, at 8:30am to start loading up to make it to the dump for 9am. His appearance, in my mind, now made for 2 soon to be disappointed men.
Out my hubby and our friend went.
I waited for them to come back.
They didn’t…
Until they left with the first load to go to the dump.
It took two truck loads full, really muddy clothes, and I’m sure wet and frozen fingers, but they took care of that carpet quickly and wonderfully.
Now, for my lessons learned:
1. “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.” I am not prepared for this Spring. There is so much I’m doing right now that should have been done in the Fall. If I had done it, perhaps I’d have been able to plant already. I hope that I can heed the voice of the Lord through His Prophets, and help my family be prepared for what is needed.
2. I think the Atonement is a lot like the help we recieved from our friend. He helped us—with his truck and his diligent labour—to do something that would have been very challenging for us to do ourselves. Similarily, the Saviour Atoned for our sins, and made it possible for us to do something rather impossible for us to do ourselves.
3. Now, even more interestingly: if I had persisted in my bad mood, if I had been more assertive in my lack of faith and denied the help from others, then the carpet would not have been moved. Even though, in spite of what I “knew”, it was possible.
How often do we withhold blessings from ourselves, due to simple lack of faith?
(My boys, tidying up the dirt from the carpets by scooping it off the Seminary building parking lot and throwing it back into our garden, Saturday afternoon. Perfect gardening weather)