Coping with Change…and Growing

Too much change.

God, my heart can’t take any more.

I’m alone!

I’m so tired of moving alone.

But…

reality screamed

It’s time to move.

My rental lease was not renewed.

So…I left my Healing Garden.

I left my country retreat.

God moved me to town.

God helped me take part of my Healing Garden with me.

God helped me realize:

It’s hard to do things alone…until you remember you’re not alone.  

We are not alone.

Jesus stands by to help us

✅ New places offer new opportunities

✅ New places offer new people to bless.

Moving can be motivating.

Time to stop focusing on loss

Time to focus on renewal.

My Healing Garden garden reminds me of renewal

God’s given me an assignment:

Deposit flowers.  

Transplant and touch lives.

I’ve given flowers to five homes.

I’ve decided, if I must move…I’ll leave some of God’s beauty behind.

As I move, I transplant many things:

Flowers

Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? – Luke 12:27-28

Love

Joy

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. – Phil 4:4-5

Peace

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Phil 4:6-7

Flowers. Love. Joy. Peace.

I can carry these with me from place to place.

When my “Happily ever after” was destroyed three years ago (see my blogposts: https://typeachecklist.com/2022/05/06/cracked-to-shattered-and-back-again/ and  https://typeachecklist.com/2022/03/21/shattered-pot-made-new/ )

I had to make a choice. Would I be :

Helpless or Healing?

I choose Healing

(Even though I stumble along the way.)

Gardening helps me heal.

Here’s the story of my new Healing Garden: 

When I rented my town home, sewer work had destroyed the back yard.

I asked if I could create a garden around the sewer. 

Transplanting began.

I carefully selected flowers from the country.

I left some beauties to bless the new country owners. 

I dug, transported and transplanted beauties in my new Healing Garden.

God also helped me bring brick and stone from my old farm .

 Hauling distracted me.

Building and planting helped me focus when my heart wanted to grieve.  

My work began.

I hauled brick and built pathways. I lined stones. I transplanted.

I completed a new Healing Garden.

NOW…

I like to visit my garden at night. 

My new Healing Garden is a nice night garden. 

The garden is softer with the  glow.

At night I don’t  hear the cars and conversations (although the neighbors sometimes argue.)

Here in my little Healing Garden,

God brings me peace.

I’m over here in my garden thanking God

I’m not helpless…

I’m healing.

✅ If you’re struggling with change.

✅ Join me in God’s Healing Garden.

✅ Great things grow there.

✅ Thank you, God, for the glorious garden message in Isaiah 51:3:

✅ “The Lord, will surely comfort Zion, and will look with compassion on all her ruins; He will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving, and the sound of singing.”