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God's faithfulness is overwhelming at times -- it just seems all too much, and I feel so undeserving. How can He be so good?
Last Friday after Steph was done with work, we needed to pick up his truck in town -- it had been in the shop for the week. So, we got to where it was being worked on, and we girlies dropped Steph and Ave off to wait for it to be finished. I didn't have my purse with me, but I had thought we may stop at a fruit and veggie stand on the way home, so I asked Steph for money (I like to do that!) -- he handed me R100. On our way home, just a few blocks from the mechanic, we stumbled across a greenhouse and decided to go in for a bit. After all, the boys aren't much into plants, but we girlies aren't much into trucks either, so it worked out well for us to take the detour while the boys were away.
The minute we stepped into the greenhouse, emotions flooded me, and I was taken back to last spring in Farmington, Minnesota. I remember standing on the south side of our house, watching the day lilies break through the ground, just as the snow melted. The "for sale" sign had just been pounded into the ground at the front of our house, too. My heart was torn, and it ached quite a bit. The perennials I had researched, shopped for and planted were just ready to begin another growing season, and our family was preparing to sell everything and inch closer to our move to Africa. I remember thinking, "I won't have plants in Africa, but it will be all good. God will just take my love of plants away. I'll miss them, but this is what God wants us to do."
As we walked the greenhouse that evening, there were beautiful plants everywhere. Annuals, perennials, and amazingly quite a few of the plants that I had left in the States. There was a delightful babe (bah-bay) working, and it was more than apparent that he loved what he did, and knew what he was doing! He paced the greenhouse with us and helped me determine what plants work best in Mbabane, especially with heading into the winter months and frost being so common (yes, frost -- we're in the higher altitudes!).
We spent about an hour at the greenhouse, and I purchased ELEVEN beautiful plants for the veranda at R86 total (about $12USD). Amazing -- I don't know if that would have covered even one of the plants that I purchased for our landscaping on 12th Street in Farmington. As we drove home, what an honor it was to praise God and to thank Him for this journey. God's words, "trust ME," echoed in my head that evening, over and over.
All of these were transplanted into our little veranda yesterday. It's pretty emotional thinking that these beauties will grow with us, and that I have new "babies" to look after. The only difference is -- our growing season here in Africa is magnified. It appears that my happy green thumb will get its fix the whole year through.
Trust the Lord and His mighty power. Worship Him always.
