I’ve Been Foiled

A close examination of my garden containers–my attempt to be a savvy gardener this year–has revealed that I’ve been foiled…someone invaded a couple of my beautifully sown planters…where there should be garlic sprouting, there are sunflowers. Where onions should be poking through wonderful black dirt, there are sunflowers. Although I LOVE the beauty of sunflowers, I did not plan to include them in this year’s gardening session as I purchased a cucumber plant….dreamed of fresh garlic and green onions…instead I will have a crop of sunflowers, IF I move them from my deep pots to an area they can continue to grow and flourish. 

Though a mystery surrounds HOW sunflowers got inside two pots, truth be told, I’m pretty sure who the culprit is that created his own lil crop to harvest in 2022….one morning while brushing my teeth…gazing out the window to watch the birds at our feeder….I saw him. Yup, a chipmunk was sitting in the container with my ONION seeds nestled under the dirt…he was digging with a lot of energy…messing with my seeds and dirt…after he left I smoothed over the dirt, filled in the holes he had dug and thought nothing further. Until I saw a clump of beautiful crowded green growth standing about two to three inches tall one morning…catching my eye as I watered plants. (The photo above is NOT one I took, but an example I found online)

Strangest onions I ever saw I thought to myself. I thought onion seedlings were tall and skinny as they grew stronger, taking on more shape. These plants were pretty plump and crowded like too many people in an elevator. Quick thinking about using my “plant identifier app” on my phone confirmed my suspicions. “You don’t have onions but you have a lovely array of sunflower sprouts”….hmmm…they look like something that’s growing in the container where I placed garlic sets.   Frowning upon THAT confirmation, I briefly grieved over the loss of future meals with fresh garlic that seems to be nowhere in sight.

It’s not only sunflower plants that I’ve found in obscure places around the yard where we plant vegetables and flowers. The raised bed is yielding voluntary plants of dill, cilantro, and sage. In the hot bed a kale plant is leafed out like crazy and is providing shade for a red lettuce plant–I may have planted that seed? I even found lemon balm in a pot that previously had flowers adorning it last year. Squeezed in between three tomato plants is another voluntary vegetable….a tomato that reseeded from last year. I’ll let it grow, coax it along and see what it yields at harvest time.

Sadly, the clematis we put in the ground at a trellis is nowhere to be seen. Instead, numerous morning glory seeds keep germinating, and though I enjoy their beauty, I don’t need over 20 of those. I wanted my clematis. Guess it’s wait till 2023 and try again.

What life lesson can I learn from this experience? While pursuing a life that is intentional…planting seeds of love, joy, and hope in my spirit…with the objective to be a good friend, a loving family member, an authentic Christ follower…I can get foiled. That crafty serpent we refer to as Satan is sneaky. He’s like my little chipmunk who comes along and undoes my good intentions….he digs up my good seed, steals it and replaces it with something I don’t want or need if I’m not paying attention. He knows if I don’t tend to the distraction, “it” will grow….the substitution of giving me a bad or unexpected result is now something to be reckoned with….

My unexpected sunflower plants can be salvaged. I can move them to a more fertile area, giving them depth and space to grow to maturity. Or, I can toss them in the garbage. I think I’ll save a few. After all, the birds benefit from their huge seeded heads at the end of summer and cooler days in the Fall. Even pesky lil chipmunks need food, too.

As for those things that Satan tries to foil me with? They are of no use to me. They don’t deserve space to grow, multiply and provide a harvest of sin’s nastiness that is the only bounty he can produce. I have only one choice when I recognize his crafty methods–pull his lies up by the root and toss them in the garbage…allow God to remove the ugly unnecessary things the enemy has tried to plant into my mind and spirit.

Sunflowers need sun and water, even the ones that were helped along by a sneaky little critter. My life needs sun and water, too, and if I’m not careful, Satan’s sneakiness could go unnoticed if I don’t tend to my heart, soul, and mind every day. Where there should be the fruit of the spirit growing in me, I don’t want to find voluntary weeds that went unnoticed from last year….last month….or yesterday.

This is not an actual photo taken by me, but one that I pulled from an online search. 

Lessons From Being Parched

The blustery winds and chilling temperatures from winter are long behind us, now that June has been ushered in by the furnace fan providing us cool air on days that are currently sporting waves of heat in the 80s….slowly teasing us onward to scorching 90s….warm days many of us longed for when we were knee deep shoveling snow covered driveways and sidewalks. We’ve exchanged snow boots for flip flops and winter clothing for shorts….swimwear for pools, lakes…water time fun in all forms! Maybe a water balloon fight or running through a lawn sprinkler…

In late May I planted flowers, vegetable plants and seeds. Everything seems to be doing well with the exception of some of the seeds. Those little buggers are stubborn, no matter how I water and “coax” them with encouragement to poke their way through the beautiful dirt that I laid them in ever so carefully. By no means am I an expert gardener. Truth be told, I’m more of a casual/lazy kind of person who puts plants and seeds in the ground, expecting great results with little effort. I’d kind of like my seedlings to act like their relatives that thrive in desert dirt…very little rain and more sunshine than the states of Florida, Georgia, Arizona…you get the picture….combined. Could they NOT have a bit more ambition to push through the soil and show me they are trying!?

When we were in Arizona recently, I was amazed at the variety of cactus plants growing in all types of dry, rocky, arid terrain. They sure looked healthy! Some of them were budding…getting ready to pop open flowers…others were very green…standing strong and tall, or creating intricate low ground shrubbery. Together, they paint a wonderful example of growing and remaining strong against elements that surely would leave me parched…tired…overheated…in need of a TALL drink of water.

Today, I decided at 11 am to go for a walk through our neighborhood. I checked the temperature (83) and had a quick wave of “why didn’t I go sooner” float through my mind. Oh well, I told myself. I can do this. Yes, it’s hot, but you’ve walked in the heat before. Wear comfortable clothing. Get on your good shoes. Take a water bottle with you. Those self coaching phrases carried me as I made my way around the paved road that gives me just over a mile walk. 

Thankful that I brought my water with me, I enjoyed stopping several times in shaded spots to sip on my cool relief….the neighborhood was quiet except for one couple working in their yard….no kids outside playing or riding bikes….workers present laying fiber for new internet services in our community…every one of them looked pretty warm under the sun…one guy was under an umbrella on the equipment he was using to dig a trench (smart, I thought to myself)…each one of the guys smiled and said “hello” as I passed by. One young man said “good morning, it’s a warm one! But I’m not complaining!” (could he have been remembering how much snow we all shoveled last winter?)

Unlike cactus plants that thrive day in and day out under scorching temperatures, I know I would not…could not survive extended periods of life living in desert like conditions. I need rain. I need cool breezes. I need cloudy days. I need shade. I need water. I need someone looking after my daily needs. My “someone” is the good Lord, Who has earned the title Creator of ALL in my book of faith…I can look and marvell at His handiwork in a HUGE desert and pull much joy from the beautiful views and contrast of dry dirt to lush covered mountains…cracks in hard ground…tiny crevices shared by flowers that have made their way from earth’s darkness to life giving light.

Such was…such is…my life. By God’s grace He planted a seed in my soul years ago…a seed that has grown and matured through seasons of life that have been filled with great joy, grief, disappointments, sadness, losses…yet, years that produced harvests from His faithfulness and tender care, all serving as reminders and examples of a life lived pushing through…seeking…allowing wind, rain, sunshine and changing of seasons to grow me up against ALL odds…even when I’ve taken the casual/lazy approach to life….I think I’ll go check on my tiny seeds…see what they need, coax them a little bit more.

As an extension to last week’s entry on my blog, where I wrote about meeting folks who truly served well in their respective “jobs”, I thought I’d share a couple things I experienced in the opposite direction of decent human behavior. I need to begin by telling you (briefly) about our canceled flight which we rescheduled in order to stay on track for our vacation commitments.

Our flight was scheduled to depart Detroit at 6:12 pm Saturday, May 28. We made our arrival through check in and security as recommended, made our way to the gate and began our wait…taking seats in a crowded terminal…slowly making eye contact with other passengers…smiling, me deciding who I’d begin to chat it up with because, hey, that’s who I am. I’m one to never waste quiet if I can find a good conversation! Anyway, fast forward and soon it was announced our flight was “delayed” to repair a mechanical issue. Minutes began to turn into hours with more discouraging announcements…Lady Orange Shirt didn’t waste time walking up to the counter numerous times to ask when the plane was leaving…..on one such occasion she walked in front of a growing line of people to butt in with her questions….when an announcement was finally offered about helping us make alternate arrangements she was the FIRST to jump up and work on her problem…even after getting another flight, now waiting for THAT departure, she kept making her complaints known to others seated around her…

For us, we held out and accepted a hotel voucher for the night and returned by 7:30 Sunday morning to get on a 10:15 flight (same plane)…well, before our hopes could soar on wings with assured hope, Natalie, the counter agent, announced that even though the plane was being serviced on since 4:30 am, she could not guarantee a timely departure. Enter Lady Purple Shirt & Husband. They arrived at the counter, her demanding to know when the plane would leave, husband looking down at the floor. She didn’t like Natalie’s answer. Tears began to flow, cries of anger declaring “it’s been 14 hours…this is no way to treat people….” Husband calmed her down, and as they worked out their travel…she blew up in a tizzy again when she found out first class seats weren’t available. She walked away in a huff while husband remained to settle their travel. She went to get a Starbucks coffee. (I saw her later with a cup in her hand) He took time to thank Natalie for her help and kindness. A kind husband making up for a frustrated wife I guess.

We boarded a flight headed to Charlotte NC, which was short– 1 ½ hours–sitting in front of a couple who quickly ordered shots of vodka for their breakfast juice when the steward came by with beverages and snacks. Short flights don’t offer much in the way of entertainment unless you’re a people watcher like me…approaching time to descend the steward came by picking up trash. Meet loud mouth vodka drinking woman.

“May I take your trash?”

“I’m not done with my drink yet.”

He kept on with each row and then the second sweep for trash came.

“May I take your trash?”

“I’m not done with my drink yet.”

“Ma’am, we are getting ready to land. Either chug your drink or give it to me.”

“I paid $36 for this vodka. I’m not throwing it away.” (She didn’t chug it either)

“Fine, I’m done! I will be calling the airport police and they will deal with you. When we land, stay in your seats.” Complete silence.

Whew–those of us sitting close enough to make eye contact surely did, rolling our eyes and silently giggling behind smiles and thoughts of “wonder what’s gonna happen next…”

We landed. We all stayed seated as the pilot came on the speaker “Ladies & gentlemen, please remain seated. We’ve had an incident on board and the airport police will be coming to take care of it.” 

We all watched as Lady Vodka Drinker and her traveling companion were escorted from the plane. They were suddenly very quiet. I wondered then and still today, if the $36 and ensuing arguments were worth their side trip overseen by airport police?

Years ago, my husband and I coined the phrase “How hard is it to be nice?” We’ve used it  with each other on numerous occasions…me thanking him for cleaning up a pile of dirty dishes….him thanking me for doing a job he knows I dislike…It’s the phrase that inspired me for my blog, “The Art of Nyce”.

I GET that Lady Orange Shirt and Lady Purple Shirt were tired, frustrated, anxious. Yet, in all of those draining emotions, is a choice to be devoured by what’s out of one’s control, and yield to being “nice….

I GET that vodka shots sold by airlines are pricey. Yet, in the course of a traveler’s day, being compliant and nice sure can head off embarrassing and unnecessary detours.

I GET that problems will sometimes arise when I think I’ve got my day planned out, as in our case getting out of Michigan to Arizona. I also GET that I’m not in control…took me years to learn THAT lesson, but it’s one that is now giving me the greatest peace in my life when things go ary. It’s also showing me how other people react and unlike vodka shots, the show is free!

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”

We have just returned from spending a week in the beautiful state of Arizona! And I must say, a week isn’t nearly ample time to truly experience the awe and beauty this south western state has to offer to the traveler’s eyes. Getting to the Grand Canyon in person has been on my bucket list for years…. Merely seeing photos of this world wonder has not satisfied my longing to stand on one of the rims and soak in the majesty with every blink of an eye. I’ve got some of my own photos now, most of which are calendar worthy I might add and will allow me countless hours revisiting creation’s truly magical scenery. I’d return in a heartbeat…what I’d like to share with you though are some thoughts about some of the people we met along our week’s journey from Michigan to Arizona.

• We departed from Detroit Metro on Sunday, May 29. This was AFTER our Saturday flight was canceled due to mechanical failure of our plane. When our air carrier finally made the hard decision to keep us grounded, we were put up in a local hotel. That’s where I met our hotel shuttle driver (sorry I didn’t get her name) She was bubbly, kind, and super friendly. During our brief ride she talked about her dream to become an over the road truck driver so she could earn good money…see the nation….buy a home. Her enthusiasm for her work inspired me regarding a generation 40 years younger than myself.
• Sunday morning I met Natalie. She was the counter agent for our flight who was honest enough to tell us “this plane isn’t leaving anytime soon….” (repair issues were still of top concern) I listened and observed as passenger after passenger approached her to complain, argue and cry about their situation and NEED to leave Detroit. Natalie never wavered in her patience. She was kind. She was honest. Above all, she was helpful to reroute many travelers that morning, including us, all with a calm smile on her experienced face of 17 years working for the airlines.
• One of our excursions included a rail tour through the Verde Valley south of Sedona. To enhance the experience, the company employed a personal bartender and a “tour guide” for each passenger car. Our young lady working the bar did so with great fun and laughter, taking time to point out areas of historical significance….Larry, the actual tour guide on board for us did the same. He was a retired guy, full of energy and a love for explaining rock formations and historical background on abandoned mining camps and ranches deep inside the rocky cliffs and mountains. I found myself listening to both of them with eager ears, asking myself if they ever got bored with each rail tour loaded with first time visitors who would ask questions they’ve heard countless times in their years on the job.
• Tracey was our jeep tour driver for our visit to the southern rim of the Canyon. She told us she moved from the midwest to give up a vet tech position to live in Arizona and train to become a tour guide for the Canyon. The amount of lilt in her voice as she described the national forest and its inhabitants….deer, elk, big cats, birds, etc. was enough to keep a balloon afloat. With every repeated fact she never seemed to appear bored or anxious to end her shift with each turn in the road…each pass of locating elk…describing the history of the park and the people who made this area accessible for the millions who have come to see the canyon’s endless beauty. 
• Not to leave out someone who may appear as a “lesser than” much needed employee was the hostess at our hotel who greeted us Wednesday morning when we came for breakfast. Hands gesturing and eyes bright with life we were welcomed to the breakfast spot as though we were royalty. This woman looked aged, experience was evident, but her zeal and hospitality sure overshadowed any doubt that her job was mundane.
• Oscar was our curbside agent when we departed Phoenix to return home. He worked quickly, attention to detail and the long line of “ready to get home travelers” didn’t phase him one bit. Bags were checked, double checked, boarding passes issued and directions to our gate were given with kindness, a big smile and a huge “thank you” when I told him he “was a good man”.

We met many employees in a variety of settings during our vacation week. Airport. Restaurants. Shuttles. Hotel. Resort. Site Attractions. I must say, each one displayed the definition of the verse I inserted at the top of today’s blog. There’s only one guy that comes to mind as one who didn’t seem very thrilled to be working. He was our shuttle driver from the airport to our car parked in a  long term lot. He didn’t hop out of his seat to help us load four bags of luggage. He was pretty tight lipped during the short drive to our car. He remained seated and didn’t offer to help unload those four bags. I mentioned my observations to my husband who responded “that’s why he got two bucks and not five for a tip…”    I think he needs to read Colossians…not sure the others I’ve described have, but the zeal in their respective work positions sure give a hint of knowing HOW to approach the day-to-day tasks in their work day.