Faith

With Spring only a month away, I thought I'd repost a post from February 27. 2009.. I hope you enjoy.


You either have it or you don't. You can grow in your faith. Once you have faith, it might waver, but it will rarely go away. One can have faith in God, faith in their mate, faith in their family, faith in friends and one always hears about faithful pets. For me, I find faith is often displayed when I am least likely to expect it. And personally I find that the stronger my faith, the more it is rewarded.

We moved last July into a house I dearly love. It is old, it doesn't have the newest and the greatest, but it has history and a bit of charm and to tell the truth, I couldn't care less about the inside (although it does have the most wonderful places to store all my dishes, oh and lots and lots of windows), it is the outside, in particular the backyard where I instantaneously fell in love. In love with the patio and it's warbled bricks. In love with almost 60 year old trees. In love with squirrels and birds. And I could foresee summer evenings on the patio surrounded by friends and family. And I knew right then and there that I would be planting and partaking in yard work. My dear husband who believes his contribution to yard work is Jesse (the super, terrific guy who takes care of our yard) even bought one of those leaf sucker/blowers this fall.

So with a vision of a spring garden filled with blooming bulbs, I purchased some. Not 10, not 20, but 150 bulbs. Of course when it came time to plant, the ground was hard, and the work laborious. That little bulb sized hole maker thingy sure didn't work! And I almost gave up after the first 15, but we (notice the change in person - my husband stepped in to help) persevered. We planted them all by hook and by crook a few at at time until one sunny fall day we just bit the bullet and put them in the ground somewhere. They were in. That was faith. I had faith they would get planted and I had faith they would appear glorious this spring.

Since it's been so unusually warm the iris were already coming up, but I saw not one tiny green shoot springing forth from the ground wherein the bulbs had found their home. I was crushed. decided that I planted too late, that I planted too deeply, too shallow, whatever. But I didn't give up. So this evening after work, I went outside to look around. Really I still hadn't given up. Those iris are surely getting bigger and bigger. My faith was affirmed. I have shoots appearing. Everywhere. Not just the ones I planted, but everywhere. This yard must have hundreds of bulbs springing forth, in between the trees, under leaves (didn't get those all picked up - Jesse we need you!!), tucked into the corner by the kitchen, under the fir, by the crepe myrtles, everywhere I looked this evening, I saw shoots of green. faith. Rewards when one least expects them. Renewed growth and faith. I think they go hand in hand.

I have two favorite verses that reflect my belief in faith.
Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Ephesian 2:8 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

So just as I had faith in the bulbs, I did plant them and expect them to appear. I know that my faith is rewarded. The green shoots coming from the ground are a reminder of how faith works. it's not tangible and it's hard to explain, but lives in our hearts and opens doors to miracles. Have faith. Grow in faith.

I'm linking to the Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday.. be sure to drop in for some inspiration!