Lauri Hawley

Bury

Snow is falling again and burying my flower garden, but I know that spring is coming. It will soon be time for planting and watering, waiting for sprouts to break through the soil. Most of them would be eaten by birds if not covered with a layer of dirt. If the seeds aren’t buried, how can I expect new flowers to grow?

Seeds are funny things. Some need to be buried in deeper soil, others under just a thin layer to hide from birds’ view. Some need winter cold for several weeks in order for the spring warmth to kick-start their growth. All need time and water to begin the process of becoming something new.

So it is with planting seeds of God’s love in the hearts of those around us. They may be far from him today, but only he knows the harvest to come from seeds we sow now. We don’t know the circumstances the seeds will need to take root in their hearts. Seasons of difficulty (plowing, drought, or arctic cold)? Seasons of blessing that could only come from God (gentle breezes and rain showers)? How often will watering be needed? How much weeding and pruning will God have to do in their lives? Will we see the growth, or will that be someone else’s joy? So much is beyond our understanding, but none escapes his.

We plant seeds of God’s word and his love through our words and actions, trusting him to make the seed grow in his way and in his time. He is the master gardener!

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17 ESV

Who needs what you have to share today?

This post is written in response to Kate Motaung’s Five Minute Friday link-up. These prompts are fun to respond to, and only take five minutes to compose. Today’s prompt: BURY.

Benediction

A blessing, especially at the end of a religious service. If I had to guess, its roots are something like “good words.”

Longing

Today I started a watercolor design experiment using soapy, clean dishwater bubbles. I got to be a kid again, blowing through a straw and making a bubbly mess!

Cold

I’m so old that I remember when going outside in the cold meant you would catch a cold! I recently recovered from my yearly knock-me-down cold. Getting it every year in winter would seem to support the cold weather→sick cold hypothesis. Just in case, I’ve painted some oranges and berries to remind you to stay stocked up on your Vitamin C!

We know better these days. We know there have to be germs around first. But today’s extreme cold could certainly wear down a body’s defenses so that germs could settle in for a spell! An extreme cold warning is in effect in our area, with wind chills to -25°F (-31°C). Frostbite could happen within 30 minutes.

Unusual

I’ve been painting daily this month as part of a challenge to be creative for 31 days in a row. Today’s watercolor creation called for layers upon layers. Each layer left out one more piece of the puzzle.

Watercolor painting of diamond shapes on hills

With each new color layer, I was surprised with the result!

Horizon

It’s a crisp winter day. The trees are bare, having lost their leaf coats months ago. Through their stripped branches, I can see what is invisible during the leafy seasons of spring, summer, and fall.

The horizon lies beyond, beautiful and distinct.