My backyard was a mess. The grass was brown and patchy because of a fungus that ripped through last summer. The back fence had been torn down revealing an old, ugly cross-tie retaining wall. Snowmageddon at the end of the winter killed plants, shrubs and my favorite tree. Early spring, I swear it looked like Mars without Perseverance (the cool rover). In the midst of this whining rant, I am fully aware that this is a first world problem and that I should be grateful that I have a backyard about which to whine. I know this to be true—but I missed my beautiful backyard sanctuary of yester years.
It used to be one of my favorite places to be, my backyard, especially in the morning. I’d drink a little coffee, walk around on the lawn, checking the growth of my favorite plants, pulling a weed here and there, and playing a little ball with the pup. It was nice and green and shaded, with a few flowers—I’m not a super dedicated gardener. But, not this year, not Spring 2021. I hardly went out there at all. I have a plan for getting it back where it was, requiring some time and money, but, in the meantime, the dirt and brown was just depressing.
One recent morning I had to go out on the back porch to water some potted plants. Wow!! It hit me the second I opened the door! The air was shockingly crisp and sweet! I finished watering and took a chair, plunked it down on my dirt lawn and sat down. It was hard to admit but, despite the condition of my yard—the dead shrubs, the empty flower beds, it felt good to be outside. I discovered that some of my perennials were actually coming up—including the Easter lilies I planted last year. Then I leaned my head back and again—WOW! I was struck, astonished really, by the beauty of the new-growth, green-leaf canopy of my one remaining tree. What an amazing contrast against the crystal-clear, blue sky. The cool air, the greens, the blue, the morning sun shining through it all—Wow, God, you are really something!
How long did I sit outside—relaxing, gazing up and around, maybe even cat-napping a little? Not sure, but it was a good while. Huh—how about that? Unexpectedly, I was back home in my backyard sanctuary.
Creating God,
Thanks for waking me up! Thanks for reminding me that beauty can always be found in the world. Thanks for my beautiful backyard sanctuary. Amen.
