Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Garden (09/07/06)
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TITLE: Baby Step Gardening | Previous Challenge Entry
By
09/12/06 -
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“June?” a loud audible sniff could be heard and June held the receiver away from her ear slightly.
“Yes, this is June. Who is this?”
“Oh June, I’m…I don’t knoooow…sniff…what to dooooo?” And then she heard uncontrollable sobbing.
“Maggie? Is this Maggie Jones?”
“Yes, this is Maggie. Can you…sniff…come over..sniff…right away?”
June assured her she’d be there in just a few minutes, grabbed her car keys and flew out the door. What could possibly be wrong? Maggie was one of the newly weds in her church and such a lovely person. What if something was wrong with their marriage all ready? Praying for guidance and what she could say, she drove as fast as she dared.
June, with a ragged tissue dabbing her red-rimmed eyes, met Maggie at the door. June
could tell she looked relieved. Following her, June As June followed noticed the house was immaculate, nothing out of place. The kitchen was beautiful and looked like one you would see in an article in a kitchen makeover. It was open, bright, clean and, well perfect.
“What’s wrong Maggie? It isn’t something between you and…” June stopped when she saw the kitchen table. It was unbelievable! There were stacks and stacks of books piled up, ready to tumble off.
“June,” Maggie pleaded. “Talk to me. I don’t know what to do.” And she burst into tears again.
June put her arms around the young, grieving woman, having no idea what the problem was. As she consoled her, June scanned the titles to the books. GARDENING THE RAISED BED WAY, and LASANA GARDENING and more.
“Maggie, why do you have all these gardening books?” Maggie looked at the table and sat down in a chair, careful not to bump the table.
“I want to learn how to garden, have one like yours, June. I’ve…” she paused as if embarrassed and lowered her voice, “I’ve never had a garden.”
“You are upset because of that? You don’t know how to garden? Not because you and Tim are having problems?”
“Problems? Tim? No, Tim is wonderful. In fact, he is so sweet. He worked up a nice, big garden plot for me. I thought, well, since I’m not working this summer, I’d get one started. I got all these books to learn what to do. Tim’s mother is coming for a visit in July and I’ve got to have this wonderful and perfect garden.
“Oh, I see. Does Tim’s mother garden?’
“Oh my, yes she does, not just one but several. I want to show her that I can grow flowers, too.”
“Well, Maggie, that sounds like a plan. But I still don’t understand the tears.”
“June, that’s where I need your help. I don’t know anything. Which method do I try? What is a raised bed? What kind of soil do I have? What zone am I in, heavens, what is a zone? What flowers go in the shade, go in full sun? I don’t know where to start.” Maggie wiped away a tear, then another, then reached for more tissue.
“Maggie, Maggie, gardening should be something to create happiness for you.”
“I want that happiness…sniff…but the garden has to be perfect. You don’t know Tim’s mother.”
Slowly the pieces to the puzzle were fitting together.
“I can try to help you, but having a perfect garden, well, Maggie, I can’t help you with that.”
“I didn’t think so.”
“Honey, flower gardens don’t start out perfect. In fact, they don’t have to be perfect any more than God expects us to be perfect.”
“I suppose so. I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“Now, do you consider yourself a perfect Christian? No? Neither am I. We go day by day, step by step, little by little and grow stronger in our faith. Gardening is the same. Do you see what I mean?”
Maggie nodded; a smile finally brightened her face. “Baby steps, you’re right. I’m
wanting the beautiful garden, the perfect arrangement right now. I need to slow down, take it bit by bit, work at it daily, like my time reading and studying the Bible.”
June smiled and agreed. “Say, do you have any ice tea? I could sure use a glass while we sit down and plan out your baby step garden.”
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