Though the fig tree should not blossom,
    nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
    and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
    and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
Habakkuk 3:17-18

I have so much to be thankful for, so I endeavor to count my blessings instead of being negative and complaining. But, as Mom used to say, I am human, and sometimes things get me down. This summer is one of those times. As long-time readers of my posts know, my garden is usually a source of great joy for me, a place of solace where I love to spend time with the Lord. However, after an incredibly long and beautiful spring, we’ve had a summer of extremes.

June was hot and dry, with above-average temperatures and rainfall way below average. Then July arrived, and we got twice the usual amount of rain, which perked up all the plants and trees languishing from the early summer heat and drought but produced a bumper crop of mosquitos and created unfavorable conditions to do much of anything outside since the soil was too wet to weed, dig, or even stand on. Now August is here and we’ve returned to sweltering heat and humidity, with no rain in the forecast for days.

What’s a gardener to do?! I had such high hopes of tackling several significant projects this summer, but alas, I’ve barely been able to keep up with essential maintenance.

And then there’s the deer. They’ve passed through in previous years, feasted on some of my medium-sized hostas, and nibbled on a few toad lilies and asters, but this year, they’ve decimated even my biggest hostas, left nary a bud on the toad lilies or asters, and sampled all sorts of other things.

Between the weather, munching, and mosquitos, I haven’t experienced the garden joy I’ve come to count on.

Yesterday afternoon, I was picking up branches, big and small, dislodged when a mighty windstorm blew through last week, thankful that none of the towering trees had fallen. I was moving fast, focused on my task, trying to outpace the mosquitos. I turned to head back to my debris pile with another armload of branches when a pop of color caught my eye. I stopped and gazed at the brilliant blossoms covering one of my Encore® azaleas. I’d been so intent on my mission that I’d missed them earlier.

Despite the swarming bloodsuckers, I decided to engage in one of my favorite pastimes, also mostly abandoned this summer, and stroll the property in search of other treasures I may have missed. I wasn’t disappointed. As I spied first one flower and then another, my spirits lifted, and the passage from Habbakuk came to my mind.

Even though I haven’t been able to do much in my yard the past couple of months, God has been sustaining the plants, birds, and pollinators, just like He always does. And, as my compassionate heavenly Father, He remembers I’m dust, vulnerable to the vicissitudes of life (Psalm 103:13-14). Thus, whether joyful or distressed, I can bring it all to Him, knowing that He who graciously provides for the flowers and birds cares immensely more for me (Matthew 6:25-34).  

I’ve lived in Georgia for over thirty years, plenty long enough to know that the summer heat will eventually give way to more moderate weather. Regardless of the season, I will keep my eyes open for the evidence of God’s love all around me, and with Habbakuk, I will rejoice in the Lord and take joy in the God of my salvation.

I hope these photos, a sample of the things I saw yesterday, will bring joy to your heart just as discovering the flowers themselves did to mine.