Community Columnist

After the trees were cut last week, we realized that we now had a perfect spot for a flower garden on that side of our yard. What was once dense shade was now open to the morning sun.

So we started working clearing small stumps left over from the Sumac we had moved out. We raked the very top layer of leaves and found a wonderful deep rich black soil that was going to be just what our garden needed. We rustled up a half dozen landscaping timbers Dear Don had in a pile and started a triangular border.

We took an old piece of tin roofing we had found on the roadside years ago and nailed it to the timbers at the back of the triangle. We sunk one timber in concrete and nailed a beautiful weathered metal sun to the top and screwed a  forest green birdhouse just under the sun.

Things were looking up.

We moved a birdbath with great patina from a little seen place in the back to the new garden, and then we began to plant.

The great thing about having an established yard is that there are many things to choose from that can be replanted or moved or a cutting to start anew. We moved spent daffodils, we separated Hostas, We moved Asiatic lilies and marigolds. And before the heavy rain came back over the weekend, we covered it all with pine straw we gathered from various places in the yard.

I planted Zinnias from a seed packet I got at a EMU church meeting last Tuesday. We still have sunflower seeds we have picked out of the birdseed bag to plant and we have about six more hostas to separate and fill in. But all in all it is done. The biggest thing here is that we did not spend a single penny to build this garden.

Kind of like a metaphor for our life these days. All that we needed had been provided.

We like to name things around here so we are calling this our Jehovah- jireh Garden. Jehovah- jireh is the name Abraham gave to the place God led him to up Mt. Moriah to sacrifice his only son.

Abraham and Isaac made their way to the mountain top as God instructed. Along the way Issac questioned his father on the destination and intent of their travel. He questioned why his father had failed to bring a Ram for the sacrifice. Abraham told Isaac that the Lord would provide the sacrifice.

As they reached the destination Abraham prepared the place for the burnt offering and laid his only son atop the point. Just before he raised his knife to sacrifice his only son an Angel of the Lord appeared, speaking to Abraham, saying, “Stop. Your faithfulness has been seen my the Lord.”  At that moment Abraham saw a ram stuck in a thicket of briars. He released the ram and sacrificed it to the Lord.

Abraham had remained faithful to God and remained steadfast in his duty. It would be hard to imagine a more painful thing for a parent to do. So Abraham being thankful for the provision of the ram gave thanks where they stood.

He named this spot Jehovah-jireh, the Lord provides.

Of course this is an oversimplification of this compelling story of faith. I tell you this to say that God will provide. He has proven so over and over again. Your faith must be strong and your focus clear. What is God asking you to do? Don’t forget to look for the ram in the thicket. We sometimes miss the obvious.

Stay tuned.