The Lord brought an incredible picture to mind this week about the significance of borders/boundaries.
In early June I set the stakes and put up fencing around my entire garden. I established a border of nearly 400 ft of deer netting, 7-ft tall on 10-ft stakes, intended to keep the deer from my plants. Yet, every few days throughout the summer I've been out there repairing the fence. Winds have torn down sections of it. And deer have apparently knocked down other sections. In some cases it seems I just did a poor job of tying it up, and I find it sagging and penetrable. It's been a constant effort to reinforce the border.
As long as the fencing stays in place, my garden is safe. And yet with every intrusion, I lose something. Corn torn from the stalk, tomatoes nibbled off the vine, lettuce trimmed to the ground -- not to mention the damage to the fence. Frustrating! And so I go about repairing.
In similar ways, the Lord has established boundaries for our lives. Relational. Spiritual. Financial. The borders are for our safety and well-being. We experience joy and freedom when the borders are where they should be. And yet, the winds of life and the enemy of our souls push in on those boundaries to disrupt and to steal. Sometimes it's even our own lack of attention that allows the gap.
What I know is that it's up to me to reinforce the borders. It's up to me to repair the breaches and be watchful of any intrusion. Sometimes it's tiring, and I'm tempted to let it go. However, peace and safety come only when I'm safe within the borders.
"He grants peace to your borders..." Psalm 147:14
One of the huge challenges "down on the farm" is battling an ever present critter population. Prior to my moving in five years ago, the house sat empty for nearly a year. So, the animals took their cue to move in.... especially the groundhogs. As a matter of fact, several times in the first year I had to deal with them in my basement!!! Those varmints chewed right through the basement door and made themselves at home inside.
It's really incredible the damage these small rodents can do.... damage to the house..... and damage to the barn....
Needless to say, it's a constant battle to try and eliminate them. That's why I jump for joy whenever I can catch one! The count is up to 69 in five seasons -- groundhogs, possums, raccoons and even a couple of skunks. I wonder if the battle will ever come to an end, or if I will be fighting critters as long as I live here. Guess all I can do is set the cages and hope someday I'll write "The End" on my critter chronicles!!
It was a good night!
After contacting the local food pantry to offer some produce, I prayed that the garden would have a good variety of veggies to pick tonight. I was delighted to find cabbage, bell peppers, lettuce, cucumbers, hot peppers, tomatoes, onions and potatoes -- all ready to pick!!
What a wonderful encouragement after the struggles of the past week. I'm excited, and can't wait to hand these off in the morning!
Ah, I think I'll sleep well tonight. Thank you, God.
Life on "my canaan" is interesting, to say the least. There's always a challenge to face or a story to tell. Sometimes the challenges come fast and furious, and that's the way it's been lately.
Beyond the normal daily tasks and responsiblities, unexpected challenges seem to be at a rat-a-tat pace. Recent storm damage to my east porch and deterioration to the west porch, and I now find myself needing to replace both. My magnificent massive maple trees threaten the house and garage, and need to be trimmed and/or taken down. The critters are literally gnawing away at the buildings and invading my garden, my 7-year-old truck needs repair and..... last night I struck a stump with my riding mower and broke the blade . Arghh!!!
NEVERTHELESS.....
These things aren't going to bring me down! Although challenges abound, nevertheless God is in control. He has always provided in the past and he will provide in each and every case of need.
It causes me to think about the power of that word. Nevertheless...
It's all about attitude. It's not Scarlett O'Hara's lah-dee-dah attitude in Gone with the Wind... sigh... "tomorrow is another day." It's a powerful word and a strong resolve, a word of purpose and steely determination.
NEVERTHELESS. What a great word!
So... this week I'll call the tree service, lawn mower repair, a contractor and a mechanic, set my critter cages and face a new day!
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances.
— Viktor Frankl, Nazi concentration camp survivor
