Summer's Farewell

In the winter months my back porch is empty and barren, except for a stack of firewood that is used in our fireplace on cold winter days. The wooden, swing frame will sit empty and still as the canvas seat cushions are stored away in the attic, awaiting warmer weather once again. The concrete patio will be cold and visited only by an occasional layer of ice or snow. The black, wrought iron fence surrounding the patio will bid it stay until the next season arrives.

With spring comes a much anticipated flurry of outdoor activity. Flower pots will once again be brought out of storage and filled with fresh potting soil. Young, tender flowers will be planted therein, and look so small and lonely in those big pots!

Our bistro table will return and we will again enjoy coffee and morning breakfasts around it. The rocking chair will take its place amongst the flowers and the swing cushions will be brought down from the attic and, once again, placed on the wooden frame of the swing.

Finally, summer will arrive and what a beautiful time it brings! As I sit on my swing I will be once again surrounded by pots of flowers of all shapes and sizes. Pink mandevilla will climb along the wrought iron fence, baskets of million bells will hang over the edge, impatiens will grow knee-hi along the brick wall of the house that attaches to the patio. Petunias, geraniums, marigolds, coleus, purple and yellow lantana, hibiscus, vinca and other flowers will grow to full capacity and my once large, empty patio will shrink in size as the flowers take over.

A garden flag flies overhead as the morning breeze gently blows. Purple morning glories will grow on the fence and climb up the side of the house by the back door.

Summer brings such sweet sounds as the birds chirp back and forth in the morning light.At night, a string of patio lights will softly glow among the mandevilla vines and the candle on my bistro table will flicker with the fireflies as crickets fill the night with their song.

Yes, flowers are a lot of work — planting, fertilizing, watering — but the pleasure they bring far outweighs the labor!

Without a doubt, there are places far more beautiful than my old, concrete patio with a crack running down the middle, but for me it is my simple place of solitude and refuge. It’s a place where I can be alone and quiet. A place where I read God’s Word and spend time with Him in prayer. And enjoy the beauty of God’s creation in my flowers.

Each day I try to really “look” at my flowers — not just see them from a busy distance, but sit amongst them and soak in their beauty. I touch them, smell them, and care for them.

God is the Gardener. I am just the caretaker of what His hands have designed.

In a few short days, autumn will be upon us and my flowers will have died. My back porch will once again be empty and barren and I will anxiously await springs return when I can begin the planting process all over again.

Ephesians 2:19 tells us that as believers in Christ we are “no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints of the household of God.” Just as we enjoy a beautiful garden of flowers, take time to enjoy the sweet presence of other saints — your fellow citizens.

Plant the seed of friendship in the heart of a stranger, nourish it by taking time to talk with them, care for them, and enjoy their company. Fertilize that friendship through edification, prayer, and encouragement. And water the relationship so that the sweet scent of Christ in your life fills their heart with His beauty.

All material copyright, September 2008