Flowers and the Perfect Painting

By Jennifer Dean

I spent several hours this evening planting flowers for my Mom. She doesn’t like to do things half-way. When it’s time to plant flowers we don’t have a few to plant, it’s more like 5 or 6 flats. Mom had a bunch of cookies to bake tonight for a church picnic on Saturday so I went out to the flowers. I love living in the country. Being outside with the flowers, well it can’t get much better than that. I am a realistic person most of the time, and I had to chuckle comparing the idealistic country picture scene to reality. You know, one of those pictures where a sweet woman stands dreamily in a field with a basket full of flowers. It’s a painting of perfect peace and calm. No dirt, no bugs, no hot summer day.

I began my evening running in and out of the shed full of wasp looking for the perfect pots. Half the flowers were for the patio, the other half for under 2 trees and the flower gardens. I saw a little mouse scurry away in the shed. I thought of my sister and mother and the screams they share with the world at the sight of those little creatures. I wonder if the snake is still in here? I move on to the flower bed and trees. Everything needs weeded before any planting. While I weed I listen to the sounds of the miniature petting zoo (as I have dubbed it) across the street. I can hear the chickens, guineas, ducks, goats, peacock, sheep, and ponies talking to each other. The evening songs of the birds are in stark contrast. So beautiful!

While I weed and plant I my mind runs with my thoughts. “I wonder why God made me a white Caucasian in middle class America? Why wasn’t I born a child in Somalia and starving to death? I know I’ll only know in eternity but I wonder….That song I listened to last night from Acappella, “If There Were No God.” That went along with the end of the Sunday School discussion at church Sunday. Without God there would have been no love, no laughter, no children as the song says. Without sorrow we would never know what joy was. Without pain we couldn’t know the meaning of peace. I need to look up John 1. That relates to this. I’ll try to remember that tonight. (The seed ticks are dropping from the trees. They are especially bad this year.) Oh bother, there goes one under my watch. Hmm.. I wonder if this is the one with Lyme’s disease.” The mosquitoes can never be convinced I’m not their local blood bank. My face and ears are smeared with dirt as I swat to the pesky hum of their arrival.

Back on the porch I’m finishing up adding some asylums next to the stone wall. Unaware a yellow jacket has taken residence in the fabric covered porch swing, I find myself running away with the yellow jacket on my head. The last time I messed with a yellow jacket I was five years old. I ran into a nest of them and as they all landed on my head I kept swatting at them. They taught me a lesson I’m still afraid of.
Mr. Yellow Jacket has calmed down. I run back to water the flowers and head to my last destination. A huge flower garden I didn’t have time to keep tended for Mom was turned into a perennial bush garden. A few flowers are scattered here and there. As I plant a more I turn to see a little rabbit staring at me. With nose twitching he decides to slowly hop off. No fear of me! All the rabbits in the county seem to have moved onto these 5 acres since my dog died. If that was the rabbit eating my strawberries….I would probably hand feed Peter Rabbit. He may have children.

My Mom comes out to see the result of the evenings work. Unlike me, she is a very outwardly expressive person. With tears in her eyes she runs over to give me a big hug and a “honey, they are so beautiful! Thank you!” What a wonderful evening. I may not be standing in a field looking like a picture of perfection but God has blessed greatly. Tomorrow, Lord willing, I’ll begin another day for Him. Everyday we have blessings. Yes, in the midst of dirt, bugs, and all. How sweet they can be. You have your own canvas to paint with the life God gave you. What will you do with your day in the field?