It’s a fine line, this balance between gratitude and greed.
To be thankful for what God has placed in my care, but not to want more than He has supplied.
It isn’t an easy thing for me.
Because too often I’ve placed my security or my identity in what I had.
God doesn’t give me anything to replace His space in my heart, so when I find myself slipping into greed, it’s telling me my heart isn’t right.
As I walk with Him, I’m learning how to be thankful for the things and people He places in my life, but to treasure only that which is eternal.
Saturday was an opportunity for me.
Handsome, had brought home an old wooden ladder, which he intended to burn.
I saw it and told him I wanted it.
He was surprised, but didn’t burn it.
Our son put it in the garden.
I’ve been asking the Lord what to do about my herbs.
My plan had been to have them closer to the house rather than down at the garden.
Unfortunately, I reckoned without the deer in mind.
This past week they ate one of my roses and this caused me to rethink my plan.
When I saw the ladder it seemed to be an answer to my prayers.
I’d been asking the Lord what to do as I didn’t make a bed in the garden for herbs.
Pictures of old ladders with cute galvanized buckets full of herbs on each step came to mind, things I’ve seen on the internet.
When we needed to go to town for chicken bedding I asked my husband if we could get herbs as well, which he readily agreed to.
After picking out which herbs I wanted, I went to buy galvanized buckets.
They were tiny and expensive.
So, I signed to my husband, “What do you think?”
He signed back, “You should pray about it.”
I did, but I couldn’t get peace with purchasing those expensive buckets just to hold herbs on an old ladder.
I walked over to look at the plastic pots.
These were much more reasonable, but I couldn’t get peace about how many to purchase.
I knew my husband was waiting on me and I was getting frustrated with myself, so I just stopped trying to guess and asked God to tell me what to get.
Three plastic pots.
I felt a little concerned as I had six plants, but I grabbed three pots.
The color didn’t seem right, so I prayed again and put those back, picking up some light grey ones.
I didn’t really understand what God was doing, but I wasn’t going to buy something I didn’t have peace with.
We purchased our six herbs, three pots, and three packs of marigolds(I remembered I needed those too) and left.
At home, I started with the marigolds, because those were for the perimeter of the garden to deter bugs.
I’d planted seeds, but so far they’ve not come up and since the frost got my other seedlings I thought those might have died too.
I ended up with one marigold I wasn’t sure where to place, but felt I shouldn’t worry about it and to just continue with what I had.
I placed the lavender in the garden near the fence where it can spread out, because I want it to be a permanent resident.
Both oregano plants went in plastic pots as did the spearmint.
I still had two basil plants and wasn’t sure what to do with them.
As I prayed for direction I remembered the metal coffee cans left by the previous owners.
Placing each herb on the ladder was fun, but the top looked a little bare and I still had the lone marigold to deal with.
My husband turned up at this juncture and I showed him everything.
When I got to the leftover marigold, I asked if he had any old coffee cans I could use.
“No, but hang on. I have something else.”
He returned with an old metal bucket, perfect for my need.
I planted the marigold and added it to the top of the ladder.
Now there is this cute and functional herb space which is safe from the deer.
But it’s not a treasure, it’s just something I’m grateful to God for.
The real treasure is the lesson of trusting God and waiting upon His direction in something so unimportant.
Because I truly believe if I can learn to be faithful in the little things, that is a treasure.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for continuing to remind me of what treasure truly is. Thank You for showing me another example of how You know exactly what You are doing and my responsibility is to trust and obey You. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit which speaks to my heart and leads me in Your paths. Lord, please continue to teach me what it is You have for me each day and walk me forward into Your truth in this day. Lord, Please help me to overcome worry, as I know it is a sin and not honoring You. Please continue to teach this heart how to surrender fully. Lord, please place a guard over my lips, that I might not sin against You or others. Please place a hedge of protection around me and my family, that we might not fall prey to the enemy. Lord, please continue to shine brightly to those around us, encouraging our fellow follower and giving hope to those who have yet to know You. I love You, Jesus. Thank You. Amen.
patientlyhopeful 