As you can tell from the pic, my daylilies have seen better days. When they begin to bloom early in the season, I’m always happy to see the bright pop of yellow. By July, however, they have more brown leaves and dead shoots than I can keep up with plucking. All in all, they are just blah. Sure, there is some good left, a few blooms here and there, but by this time of year, the blooms seem to grow so near to the ground that they are hardly visible.

Last year my friend told me that her grandmother always cuts her daylilies back with good results. So this year, I’ve decided to try it. It’s been about two weeks now since I cut them back and so far so good. We’ve had some rain, so the new leaves are growing fast. (right) I just hope for new blooms at some point.

There’s a point to all of this besides daylily care. When I garden, God often shows me much about life. Some of my greatest revelations have come through gardening. This time, He was leading me to take stock of my new season, and to comfortably release what was once my main purpose. As a mother of now grown children, I’m in unchartered territory. It’s easier to know what to do and how to help younger children. Keep them relatively clean, feed them, help them with school work. In this new season of their adult lives, I find myself wanting to do more than I should. I want to fix things they need to fix for themselves. I want to help when my help will only likely hinder. They have to grow and learn – even from their mistakes.

As I cut the old leaves away, ones that were once beautiful and colorful, I saw myself. I’m not a young mom now. That causes sadness so real it’s nearly palpable. They aren’t little and gooey and cute any more. I’m no longer the center of their universe, and if I’m healthy, they can’t be mine.

Yes, being a mom of little guys was a wonderful season, but now there’s new work ahead of me, a new season of growth. I have to prune back the old to allow the new to breathe. I have to cut back what was once receiving all my energy in order to allow new leaves and stems and blooms to flourish. I still have much to offer my children, but it needs to be based on a healthy relationship, not one where I’m hanging on because I worry about them, or because it’s comfortable for me to still focus on what I know.

It’s scary to let God have their messes, but since I’ve seen me on even my best day, I know He’s way more capable of directing their future than I am. And it’s not just about them and wanting to “do” for them. You know what I mean if you have children who are getting older. For years they were your identity. You were Mom. Now, with children who need you less, who are you? That’s what the new season is all about, allowing God to show you and me who we are to Him and who He wants to transform us into. There’s no telling what’s there beneath all the browning old leaves. We have to allow Him to cut them away. You and I have a new season to bloom, older mom. Some of God’s best blooms can come out of this season. Don’t underestimate the plans he still has for you. He has better days ahead.

From one mom to another, no matter your season or if you are a spiritual parent rather than a biological one, I’m saying, it’s okay to step into a new season. Allow yourself to grow and blossom wherever you’re planted.

Many blessings and blooms to you,
Lisa

In every situation we believe someone, either Jesus or His enemy. Those moments when I’m most anxious, I can trace the root back to a lie I’m believing. Peace tells me I’m believing Jesus. Anxiety is brought on by listening to the other guy.

This seems overly simplistic, but technically it is that simple. No matter your situation, you can follow your trail of fear, anxiety, anger, discontentment, or any other negative emotion back to some lie you’re believing. Maybe it’s a fear that a horrific diagnosis will come. In that case you are believing that God won’t come through for you. Or maybe you’re entangled by anger and resentment after a spouse or loved one lets you down. Often when our disappointment is due to the action or inaction of another, we are believing that our happiness rests in them or that God isn’t enough.

If you find yourself at peace, follow that trail. You are most likely taking God at his word in a matter – or maybe many matters. I’ve found that peace is found only in belief, belief that God is ever present and in control of it all: an unexpected diagnosis, the future of a prodigal child, the failing marriage, and money crisis. When we find ourselves believing Jesus, peace prevails even over difficult life circumstance.

I hope you will look at your own areas of belief. Whom are you believing? The presence or lack of peace will be your sure indication.

In my own life, I’m discovering after a season of upheaval, that I wasn’t believing Jesus in a matter. He’s never let me down before, so I’m not exactly sure why I doubted this time. Like we all do, I allowed what I was seeing to heighten my unbelief and distrust. That whole “walk by faith and not by sight” thing was blown out the window. Before I knew it my mind was filled with what ifs and maybes. I’m back on track now and holding onto belief with both hands. Honestly, I still haven’t seen Him come through. I’ve decided, though, if He doesn’t, if I’ve missed what I thought I was hearing, then He still has my best at heart. The outcome will still be for my good. I simply have to believe He is good and loves me and has this all covered.

I guess we all have those moments when we need to take a step back from our overload of emotions and ask ourselves what we are clinging to, the Truth or a lie.

My best to you this wonderful 4th of July. Be safe. Have fun. Run fast once the fuse is lit.

Lisa

Zoe makes the cut again this week.

Last night as Zoe was roaming around in her courtyard, sniffing out invaders, she got close to the fence. Where the ground is not level, there is a large gap between the fence and ground. I watched as Zoe got closer and closer to the fence, stretching out her neck as if tempted to crawl under, but she only sniffed and came back to me. In the four years since we’ve lived here, she’s only snuck beneath the fence once, and that was because a neighbor was on the other side talking to us.

The more I thought about, the more I considered God’s boundaries for us and how they are there for our protection. Just like we have Zoe’s courtyard fenced to keep her in and bigger dogs out, God has given us bounds of protection. It’s not that He wants to keep us from having fun or trying to find out if the grass is really greener on the other side. He knows the dangers that lurk out there on the other side. His heart is always to protect His children.

I’ve tested the waters on the other side and nearly drown. I’ve stuck my head beneath the fence and got it lodged there util He came and wiggled me back inside. I’m done with that now. These days, I’m happy to explore all that God has for me here in His courtyard. Since there are so many adventures waiting for me in the Kingdom, the world has lost its appeal. I guess that comes with maturity. 🙂 And maybe with a stiff neck from getting stuck a time or two.

All this to say, trust God’s boundaries and know that His motive is love. No temptation out there is worth the danger you’ll face if you go poking your head under the fence.

Love and blessings to you,
Lisa