Gifts

I'm not talking about the giving and receiving kind. I'm referring to all those things that God has gifted us with. Some are teachers, some evangelist, etc. In my finite thoughts, I've got an opinion that we are all supposed to do those things, like teach, witness, serve, minister to, etc. For each of us, usually one area is far more difficult than another, which means that we each have to work harder. For example, I might have learned to play the piano, but it was not easy for me. And I did not go far. I've seen some who have picked up piano lessons, and they play beautifully. Same with singing...some of us just plain have to work much harder at learning to sing than others. I have a sister who is a gifted cook (actually all my sisters might be gifted in this area!), and I've noticed that she seems to be able to throw together a multi-course meal while carrying on a conversation. And the end result is absolutely beauty! Not me. If you talk to me while I'm cooking, there's no telling what the end results could be....

So that all brings me to gardening.... I love a beautiful garden, but it seems like I just can't do it. So that means if I want a garden, whether vegetable, flower, or herbal, I will just have to put way more effort into it than I'm prepared to do so right now. I know what I like, what I want, but sigh, it doesn't happen when I just dream about it. Once I lived in Atlanta, and I planted 20 young azaleas. I was so excited about the bright fuschia colored buds coming out against the backdrop of the light grey house. But no....they all died. It didn't help that we had a drought that year, and that I had had to travel at one point. But it was still pretty disappointing. That's just one example of many.... sigh...

This all came about today while I was outside trying to clean up the massive yard. The weather is finally warming up, and the sun is shining, so I thought it was a good time to take Lil' Miss 4yo out in the sunshine. I began digging up the dandelions (perhaps a waste of time, I know), and my 4yo began crying. "But Moma, I love dandelions!" great.... I told her that she could enjoy the dandelions in the other part of the yard, but that in this part, I wanted them gone. Then the 9yo came out and said "My friend told me that dandelions were good to eat, so we ate some." So after I explain that dandelions are very good for you, cleansing your liver, strengthening your blood, she's wondering why I'm destroying them all. So I quit digging them up....

And now that means that I'm feeling might guilty for living on 4 acres and not knowing how to do anything with it. Maybe I should just grow dandelions.... No work, and they're good for me.