Author: Patsy Kuipers

Finding Hope in My Garden

/ Patsy Kuipers / Leave a comment

Often, when I’m working in my garden, a spiritual tie-in will occur to me. Such was the case last week.

The perennials are winding down for this year, looking rather bedraggled after enduring weeks of hot, dry weather. Soon, many of them will drop their leaves or die back completely to the ground. I’ll help others by removing this year’s growth so they can rest over the winter. But even as the plants are completing another cycle of flourishing, they’re preparing for the next.

Seeds

Seed heads have formed on numerous plants, including ornamental grasses, butterfly weed, coneflowers, and black-eyed Susans. Some of the seeds will land in a favorable place, germinate, and produce new plants, while others provide food for hungry birds. Still others can be shared with fellow gardeners.  

As I survey the variety of seeds adorning the plants, harvest some to share and leave the rest to reproduce or feed the birds, I’m reminded of God’s promise after the flood, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22)

I’m also challenged. How am I sharing the bounty of spiritual blessings and wisdom God has imparted to me? Am I planting seeds that will bear spiritual fruit even after I’m gone? Am I sharing bits of Biblical wisdom to nourish fellow believers?

Buds

And then there are buds that have already formed on spring-blooming plants, the promise of future flowers when the conditions are right. The buds remind me that we’ve been sealed with the Holy Spirit, the guarantee of our inheritance in Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14). Just as the buds are waiting to blossom, we too are awaiting our glorification, knowing that when Jesus appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).

Bulbs

Bulbs are mysterious. It takes faith to believe the homely yet intriguing packages will one day produce something beautiful. Inspecting the daffodil bulbs I purchased a few days ago, I was reminded of the assurance that one day, most likely after a period of resting in the ground unless Jesus returns first (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), my perishable body will be raised to glory, imperishable:

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
1 Corinthians 15:51-55

Hope in Him!

In a few months, springtime will return to the little plot of ground God has entrusted to me, exuberantly pointing us toward Jesus’ return when all things will be made new and all of creation will praise Him. Until then, I will make note of the evidence of things to come, resting in the assurance that God will fulfill all His promises.

Dear Lord, thank You that Your invisible attributes, namely, Your eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made (Romans 1:20).

Hugs

/ Patsy Kuipers / 1 Comment

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.        
Psalm 34:18

Bedraggled

I’ve lived in Georgia long enough to know gardening can be a challenge as summer draws to a close. This year is no different. I can barely set foot outside without becoming mosquito bait, I’ve had less than half an inch of rain in the past month, and only the most heat-loving of my plants are tolerating the hot, dry conditions. The rest look tired and bedraggled, a reflection of how I’ve been feeling. (See my last post, “What a Friend,” for more on that subject.)

I’ve spent hours moving the sprinkler around the past couple of weeks in hopes of helping my plants survive until it eventually rains. One recent morning, as I went out to turn the water on, my butterfly weed caught my eye.

“Just great. Now something’s been eating my butterfly weed.”

Merry Munchers

Then it dawned on me. “Something’s been eating the butterfly weed!” Sure enough, upon closer inspection, I spied a nearly-grown Monarch butterfly caterpillar methodically munching on one of the few leaves remaining on the plant.

Thrilled, I crossed the driveway to check the butterfly weed planted on the other side. Those plants were almost stripped bare, too, but there were three tiny caterpillars chewing through the tough remains.

My dear friend Susan Hunt refers to such encounters as “heavenly hugs,” those specific touches that remind us that God knows each of His children intimately.

Preoccupied

How could I have missed seeing the caterpillars earlier? I’m usually so observant when I’m in my garden, intentionally searching for treasures that I imagine my heavenly Father placing here and there, then watching with anticipation, waiting for me to find them.

The fact that I hadn’t seen the caterpillars when they first showed up was a clear indication of my gloomy state of mind as I focused instead on the heat, drought, and mosquitoes that were robbing me of the usual joy of being in my garden. Being deprived of that comfort made the other, non-garden concerns even weightier.

Refocus

Seeing the caterpillars reminded me that there had been other treasures in the previous weeks, including a cheerful volunteer sunflower planted by an unknown critter and daily visits from the feisty hummingbird that frequents the black-and-blue salvia near my front door.

A friend, knowing my struggles of the past few weeks, reminded me of the Apostle Paul’s directive in his letter to the Philippians, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8), which followed his mandate, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Our focus matters. The attitude of our hearts matters.

Regardless of our circumstances, God has not left us. He invites us to bring our concerns to Him, thankful for the evidence of His love all around us, confident that He will hear us and grant us His peace, peace unlike any the world can give.

Dear Lord, please enlighten the eyes of our hearts so that we may see your good gifts, reminders of Your great love for us, and a mere foretaste of our glorious inheritance in Christ (Ephesians 1:18).

What a Friend

/ Patsy Kuipers / Leave a comment

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting!
Psalm 139:23-24

Muddled

Do you ever find yourself in a muddle, lost for words to even explain to yourself how you’re feeling, much less to be able to convey your disquietude to someone else? Maybe your miserable mindset is the result of one big blow, or maybe it’s the result of a series of smaller disappointments that, when added together, launched you into the abyss.

I’ll admit I’ve been struggling with the latter scenario the past week. When I find myself slogging through a sea of hopelessness, Satan, the father of lies, seizes the opportunity to pile on. Thus, I decided to set aside the topic I had lined up for today’s post and instead turn to Scripture for perspective, creating a lifeline of Truth to climb out of the pit. I pray it will be helpful for any of you who may be floundering in your own slough of despond.

Jesus Knows

We don’t need to verbalize or untangle our emotions before we turn to Jesus. A simple “Help!” is sufficient.  

Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
Psalm 139:4

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:26-27

Jesus Understands

When the Son took on flesh and dwelt among us, He experienced unimaginable grief, sorrow, and affliction, enabling Him to sympathize with our weaknesses.  

He was despised and rejected by men,
    a man of sorrows and acquainted withgrief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53:3-4

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 4:15

Jesus Cares

Jesus has compassion on those who turn to Him for solace. He doesn’t despise our frailties or minimize our sorrows.

You have kept count of my tossings
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back
in the day when I call.
This I know, that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
Psalm 56:8-11

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
    and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18

He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
Isaiah 40:11

Jesus Hears

We never have to worry about Jesus being inattentive or too busy to listen.

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    and his ears toward their cry.
Psalm 34:15

I love the Lord, because he has heard
    my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
    therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
Psalm 116:1-2

I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
    out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
    making my steps secure.
Psalm 40:1-2

Jesus Invites Us to Come to Him

Jesus offers us rest for our souls, the rest we desperately need when our thoughts are running amok and we’ve succumbed to Satan’s lies.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7

Jesus Provides

Every need supplied, not just a few or every now and then – that’s what we’re promised in Christ.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:27

Jesus Guides

As we begin to unravel our emotions and understand what brought us to the low point, we may not know what to do about the situation. How do we have the hard conversations, or ask for forgiveness, or flee Satan? We can turn to God for wisdom:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
James 1:5-6

Jesus Delivers

When we’re struggling, the temptation is to turn to the world for comforts of various kinds or to allow ourselves to continue to wallow in our distress. Neither approach honors God nor provides a way out of our misery, but we can trust Him to provide a way out:

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

Jesus Preserves

At times, our thinking can get so off track that we may believe, “I really messed up this time. There’s no way out or back.” That’s a lie, friends! Nothing will ever separate those who are in Christ from God’s love.

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:33-35; 37-39

So, dear reader, if you find yourself in a muddle, barely able to put words to your distressing thoughts, remember that regardless of how you got there, there is One who not only understands you better than you understand yourself, but who is also attentive to your cries and ever ready to welcome, provide, guide, deliver, and preserve to the end.

Precious Jesus, thank You for humbling Yourself by taking on flesh, dwelling among us, living a sinless life, taking the penalty we deserved, and ascending to the right hand of the Father, where You continually intercede for us, so that we might have abundant life now and eternal life in Your presence. Help us to remember that we are never alone.

My grandmother’s favorite hymn, “What A Friend We Have in Jesus,” has been playing off and on in my mind as I’ve been writing. The lyrics beautifully summarize elements of my post:

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged:
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness—
Take it to the Lord in prayer!

Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our Refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

Words: Joseph Scriven (1820-1866)
Music: Charles D. Converse (1866)

Put Off and Put On

/ Patsy Kuipers / Leave a comment

For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
Romans 8:29-30 CSB

About this time each year, my crape myrtle starts falling apart. At least that’s what it looks like to those who don’t realize the exfoliating bark is one of the cherished characteristics of these beautiful trees. Watching the process reminds me of one of my favorite spiritual principles, that of putting off and putting on. So, once again, I will share it with you, dear readers.

Color Harmony

Throughout most of the years I worked for a large corporation, I held the role of colorist. As such, I developed, named, and presented new carpet color options to our customers. After all the time spent honing my skills at work, I relished the opportunity to choose the interior and exterior colors when we built our home in Georgia.

My late husband’s specialty was horticulture, an equally creative endeavor. When I chose a terra cotta color scheme for the bricks and shutters of our house, I didn’t realize how challenging it would be for him to select the must-have southern plant on our list – a crape myrtle.

Even so, being a skilled horticulturalist, Ray made an excellent choice. Unlike other cultivars whose pink or purple flowers would have clashed with our cinnamon-colored exterior and offended my color sensibilities, the creamy-white blossoms of the now-stately Natchez create a harmoniously floriferous cascade each summer. But the brilliance of Ray’s choice is most apparent in the fall, for it is then that the annual process of exfoliation occurs.

As summer wanes, cracks appear in the bark along the mighty trunk, signaling the coming changes. Soon, the cracks become fissures as the old skin lifts away from the tree before finally letting go entirely, falling to the ground in long, jagged shards. To the uninitiated observer, this series of events may be unsettling. How could such an extreme shedding of bark possibly benefit the plant? Yet that very act allows the trunk to increase its girth and grow stronger. Best of all, it reveals the most magnificent cinnamon-colored covering.

Ray saw the potential in the sapling he planted so long ago. He knew what it could become.

Putting Off, Putting On

There are several concepts that I consider to be spiritual touchstones. One such idea is that of putting off and putting on. In His analogy of an unclean spirit leaving a man only to return to its neat but empty former abode, Jesus made it clear it’s not enough to make a show of getting rid of sinful thoughts and behavior (Matthew 12:43-45). Instead, our repentance must be true, the kind that produces fruit in keeping with our profession of faith (Matthew 3:8), as we put on right thinking and conduct pleasing to God.

The Apostle Paul affirms this teaching in his letter to the Romans, where he encourages his readers not to conform to the world but to be transformed by renewing their minds (Romans 12:2). In his letter to the Ephesians, he goes even further. After admonishing them to “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24), Paul goes on to provide specific examples of behavior to put off as well as corresponding replacements:

  • Put away falsehood and speak the truth. (vs. 25)
  • Let the thief no longer steal but perform honest labor. (vs. 28)
  • Do not use unwholesome language, but that which benefits and builds up those who listen. (vs.29)
  • Put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, and every form of malice. Be kind to one another, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you. (vs. 31-32)

Refined By the Spirit

Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, God already counts us as righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21), but the renovation process is far from complete. We are not yet holy as He is Holy, nor will our makeover be complete until Jesus returns. The Spirit is at work in us, transforming us with the same mighty power that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:18-20).

At times, our refinement is painful as God strips away bits of our old nature. Our Savior suffered much (Isaiah 53:3-6). How better to know Him than to endure loss, sorrow, and persecution as He did (Romans 8:17)? Such challenges may cause outside observers or even believers themselves to question God’s methods, but we can trust the One who made us has a perfect plan to work all things together for our good and His glory (Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28).

Just as Ray knew what the crape myrtle could become, given sufficient time and proper care, God knows who He created us to be (Ephesians 2:10). Furthermore, He’s promised to complete the work He’s begun in us (Philippians 1:6) and never to leave or forsake us at any point in the process (Deuteronomy 31:8). The Helper will be with us to remind us of His promises, empower us to do His will, and enable us to persevere to the end (John 14:16-17, 26). On that glorious day when Jesus returns, our transformation will be complete. All vestiges of our sinful selves will disappear, and we will gather around the throne, our new selves robed in white, to forever praise our Redeemer King (Revelation 7:9-17).

Dear Lord, thank You that You are in the process of making all things new, including Your children. Thank You for sending Your all-powerful Spirit who is transforming us from one degree of glory to another until the day we fully resemble our elder Brother, Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Lost and Found

/ Patsy Kuipers / 4 Comments

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Luke 19:10

Futile Search

I got a Fitbit several years ago and have been wearing it daily ever since to keep track of my steps, resting heart rate, and sleep quality. Recently, I spent an intense couple of hours working outside, clearing one of my overgrown garden beds and racking up plenty of zone minutes. After toiling in the afternoon sun, I was ready for a cool shower, followed by a refreshing salad.

While preparing dinner, I realized I didn’t have my Fitbit. I went upstairs, expecting to find it on the bathroom counter. When it wasn’t there, I returned to the kitchen and searched. No sign of it there either. Realizing I would have to conduct a more extensive search, I turned my attention back to garnishing my salad.

I could barely focus on my dinner companion, a novel I’d been engrossed in the previous dinnertime when my mind wasn’t concerned about the whereabouts of my Fitbit. After more futile searching inside, I headed outside. Not finding my Fitbit in the garage, I crept outside to poke around in the soil and among the plants where I’d been working. By then, it was dark, and I was in my PJs, hoping my neighbors wouldn’t see the light from my phone bobbing around and come over to check on me. Nothing.

In a last desperate attempt, I texted myself in hopes the tracker would light up or buzz. Still nothing. Dejected and wondering if I’d ever see it again, I gave up and went to bed. Despite the exhaustion produced by the afternoon’s labor, restful sleep eluded me. I’d doze off only to wake up with another idea of where my Fitbit might be and how to find it.

Success!

Morning dawned, bringing with it renewed hope and another plan, albeit one tied to a concerning possibility. What if my Fitbit had fallen into the large brown paper sack where I’d stuffed the weeds? Or, shudder, what if it was in the plastic bag full of poison ivy?

Fortunately, my Fitbit was still connected to my phone. I went to the garage, picked up the paper sack, and walked back and forth a few times. No steps registered on the app. I eyed the bag containing the poison ivy, thoughts teetering between hope and dread, yet knowing I wouldn’t let poison ivy keep me from retrieving my tracker. I donned my gloves, picked up the bag, and started walking, delighted to see the counter recording my steps.

I set the bag down, peered in, and shook my head as I saw my tracker looped around one of the disposable gloves I’d worn the day before. In my haste to discard the glove and the itch-causing oil on its surface, I didn’t notice my poor tracker went into the bag with it.

The Ultimate Seeker

As I scrubbed the band of the Fitbit before returning it to my wrist, I couldn’t help but think about God’s unwavering commitment to seek out the lost. Though I was determined to find my Fitbit, if repeated attempts to do so had failed, I would have eventually given up. Or what if I’d found it, but it was in a bag filled with scorpions or venomous snakes instead of poison ivy? My resolve would have evaporated like the morning mist.

But God never gives up on us. He has been steadfast in seeking out the lost and those hiding in shame ever since He replaced Adam and Eve’s fig leaves with garments of animal skins, foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice of His beloved Son, the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:8-9).

God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him (Ephesians 1:4). He would stop at nothing, even the death of His precious Son, to secure His treasured possession, a people for Himself (1 Peter 2:9).

The Good Shepherd

The spotless Lamb is also the Good Shepherd, the One who came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), who will not break a bruised reed or quench a faintly burning wick (Isaiah 42:3). He knows His sheep, each one entrusted to Him by the Father, and none will be lost (John 10:27-29).

Lambs aren’t the only ones that ramble off. Even mature sheep can wander, enticed by greener tufts of grass on the far side of the pasture. It’s comforting to know our watchful Shepherd won’t allow us to roam forever. We’ll hear and recognize His voice and return to His side. When we do, there will be great rejoicing, just like in the parable wherein a man left his 99 sheep to search for the one that went astray (Matthew 18:24-14).

Don’t Despair

I expect many of you reading this have at least one unbelieving friend you’re praying for, or a loved one who once walked with the Lord, but who’s wandered away from the faith. It’s painful for those of us who experience the goodness and mercy of our faithful Father to know some of those we care most about aren’t savoring the sweet fellowship and saving grace we depend on for our very life. At times, we may even despair of their ever joining or returning to the fold. It’s then that we must remember the One who seeks them is the very One who promised, “I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak” (Ezekiel 34:15).

So, dear readers, keep praying, keep believing, knowing that the One who seeks the lost will never give up until all of His sheep are in the fold! Unlike my Fitbit and me, God doesn’t lose sight of any of us. He knows exactly where we and our loved ones are all the time and will stop at nothing to draw us back (Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24).

The Whole Truth

/ Patsy Kuipers / Leave a comment

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.
Psalm 25:4-5

Assuming the Worst

I removed the receipt from the gas pump and gave it a quick glance before putting it in my wallet. 18 gallons? It seemed like a lot, since I can only fit 11 gallons in my similarly sized CR-V when it’s nearly empty. Maybe the rental car had a bigger tank? Regardless, I needed to get ready to meet relatives for dinner in less than an hour, so I let it go.

Two days later, I was back at home reviewing the receipts from my trip, including the rental car statement. I’d added more gas a few miles before reaching the airport and returned the car with a full tank, which was duly noted – 11 gallons upon leaving and 11 gallons upon return.

Woah! How had I managed to put 18 gallons of gas in a car with an 11-gallon tank? Was the pump wrong? Had I been taken advantage of?

Incensed at the possibility, I tried calling the station – no answer. Then I tried calling my brother-in-law to see if he knew the owners since I’d been visiting a small town where everyone knows pretty much everyone. No answer there either.

I turned to Google to find out the tank capacity of the rental car’s make and model – 14.5 gallons maximum. I spent a considerable amount of time trying to make sense of the situation, time that I could have devoted to other post-vacation chores.

Fuming, I went for a walk, thinking the worst. Had no one else in the tiny town fallen prey to the faulty pump? I decided I would try calling another of my brothers-in-law, one with years of car experience. Hopefully, he would have an explanation for the discrepancy. Then again, it was “only” $20. Perhaps I should just let it go instead of bothering anyone. But it was the principle of it, as Mom used to say. Right is right!

After my walk, I focused on more productive activities and didn’t get around to making the call to my other brother-in-law. I’m thankful I didn’t and equally thankful that no one answered my previous calls either.

Pertinent Details

Why? Because later that evening, I re-examined the receipt. The total gallons weren’t the only thing that didn’t add up. The timestamp was earlier than I’d stopped at the station, and the credit card listed wasn’t mine. Armed with all the details, I sheepishly realized that the person who used the pump before me hadn’t taken their receipt, leaving it for me to grab, which meant I left mine to flap in the stiff South Dakota breeze.

When the correct charge showed up on my credit card statement the next day, a simple calculation confirmed my suspicions. The rental car took 11.8 gallons of gas. The pump was accurate. No one had tried to take advantage of me.

If only I hadn’t gotten fixated on one puzzling detail and been consumed by negative thoughts, I would have saved myself a lot of time and worry.

Doubting Others

But this was just a gas station receipt. What about times when I’ve made a snap judgment about a relationship or an individual, based on incomplete information? I let my imagination run wild, assuming the worst instead of giving them the benefit of the doubt. As chastened as I was about the receipt, thinking about instances where I haven’t shown others the grace I would like to receive leaves me truly remorseful. I wish I had expressed confidence in their character, admitting I didn’t know the whole story, instead.

Doubting God

Let’s take it a step further. As bad as it is to waste time fretting about a receipt that was correct all along, or maligning a fellow image-bearer, it’s even worse when I let an event or circumstance sway my perception of God or lead me to doubt His goodness. Sadly, Scripture provides ample examples that I’m not the first of God’s children to do so. Consider these three scenarios:

  • Exodus 16 tells us that in the second month after God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, they were hangry, so hangry in fact that they wished He’d left them in Egypt to die by their pots full of meat instead of dying of starvation in the wilderness (Exodus 16:3). As someone who deals with hypoglycemia, I understand getting irritable when your blood sugar drops, but God’s people allowed the rumbling of their empty stomachs to eclipse their memories of His miraculous deliverance. Despite their grumbling, God provided them with abundant food (Exodus 16:35), though not before disciplining them for their complaining (Numbers 11).
  • After two years of traveling and experiencing God’s provision, His people neared the Promised Land. Instead of trusting God’s pledge to give the land over to them, they decided to send spies, one from each tribe, into the land to scope things out first. When they returned from their mission, the spies confirmed that the land was indeed flowing with milk and honey. Still, ten of the twelve emphasized the size and strength of the inhabitants instead of the land’s bounty and God’s promise, swaying the decision of the assembly, which refused to proceed. The fateful decision and its dire consequences are recorded in Numbers, chapters 13 and 14.  
  • 1 Samuel 17 recounts another instance of God’s people cowering because of a giant. This time, it was Goliath, champion of the Philistines, who was parading around taunting King Saul and the members of his army. Then a young shepherd boy arrived on the scene. Unlike Saul and his men, David had unwavering faith in God’s ability to deliver them (1 Samuel 17:37). Moreover, he knew God would avenge His name (1 Samuel 17:46-47).

The Bigger Picture

So, dear readers, are you fixated on a detail, believing a partial story, or listening to someone’s subjective account of a situation, allowing it to influence your opinion of a fellow believer or draw you away from what you know to be true about God?

If so, endeavor to look at the whole story recorded in the Bible, the one that tells us God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to save us from our sins by paying the penalty we owed (John 3:16). Having done that, He will work everything else out for our good and not withhold any lesser thing from us (Romans 8:28,32).

Remembering all God has done for us, may we extend the same grace and compassion to others, withholding judgment when we’re not fully informed or qualified to evaluate the situation.

Dear Lord, it’s so easy for us to get waylaid by details that draw our attention away from the great big story of Your love and care for us. Please help us to dismiss the distractions that threaten to derail us. Instead, may we keep our hearts and minds focused on all we know to be true about Your goodness and faithfulness.

Too Lofty

/ Patsy Kuipers / 1 Comment

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9

High-altitude Hijinks

My daughter and I got off the plane that brought us from Atlanta and headed to baggage claim in the Albuquerque airport. I usually walk at a brisk pace, a trait that led my daughters to describe it as my “airport walk,” and declare on many occasions as they were growing up, “Mom, slow down! We don’t need to airport walk!”

But on that afternoon in Albuquerque, my body was the one pleading for me to slow down. Heart pounding and breathing labored, my backpack felt more like a rucksack army recruits are required to carry on long hikes instead of the lightweight bag I’d packed when I left home.

Flights don’t usually have that effect on me. What was going on? And then it dawned on me.

“Jessie, do you know the altitude here?”

When my daughter replied that she didn’t, I turned to Google and discovered that Albuquerque, at 5,312’, is the highest metropolitan city in the US, slightly surpassing mile-high Denver.

That discovery led to more googling for symptoms. Elevated heart rate and increased breathing rate were at the top of the list. Relieved to know I hadn’t contracted a fast-acting ailment on the flight, I slowed down. There would be no airport walking for me in the heat and heights that provided the backdrop for our adventures over the following days as we traveled to Flagstaff (6821’), visited the Grand Canyon (7000’), and hiked several trails at Joshua Tree National Park (average 3000’).

I wondered if people who live at elevations above 5000’ adjust. More googling. Why, yes, they do. In addition to the short-term adjustments I experienced, people who make their homes at high altitudes undergo even bigger changes, including increased production of red blood cells, improved oxygen utilization, and increased lung capacity.

Trouble, Trouble Everywhere

By now, you may be wondering where I’m going with all this. My consternation over current events merged with my newfound knowledge of the effects of high altitude, reminding me of the introductory passage above from Isaiah.

Though I limit my consumption of news, even a glance at the headlines informs me of natural disasters, wars, and other calamities. But I don’t have to watch the news to be disquieted or find things to be concerned about. Members of the small congregation at the church I belong to have experienced a variety of challenges this year. Surgeries, deaths of loved ones, the hospitalization of a months-old baby because of seizures, and a young mother diagnosed with cancer – our prayer list grows with each request for supplication.

Like the rarefied air at high elevations stressed my physical body, these events, both near and far, can leave me breathless spiritually and emotionally, wondering, “Why are these things happening to people who love You, Lord? What’s next?”

Slowing Down, Shifting Focus

Just as I had to slow down and up my water intake on our vacation, I need to slow down and drink deeply of God’s word to recalibrate my thinking. Like the lasting changes that occur in the bodies of those who live at higher altitudes, the powerful indwelling Spirit will use scriptures, living and active, to transform my mind, making it easier for me to discern God’s will (Romans 12:2).

Even so, as a finite being, God’s thoughts and ways will always be higher than mine. Thus, I pray to be like David, who declared that he did not occupy himself with things too great for him, but was depending on the Lord, quietly and calmly, acknowledging his limitations and trusting in God’s sovereignty (Psalm 131:1-3).

Dear readers, we, too, can trust the Lord, regardless of what’s going on in our lives or around the world. As we focus on all we know about His character and cling to the assurances found in His promises, knowing He’ll keep every one of them, our anxieties will subside and we’ll breathe easier (Psalm 94:19).

Promises to Ponder

  • God will never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8).
  • Jesus is preparing a place for us and will return to take us to be with Him (John 14:2-3).
  • God is making all things new, including us (2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:5).
  • God works all things together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
  • God provides sufficient grace in our times of trials (2 Corinthians 12:9).
  • The Lord is close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18).

When things become particularly perplexing, I remind myself this world isn’t all there is:

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Like God Himself, the beauty and perfection of the eternal things are too lofty for us to comprehend!

Dear Lord, there are so many things we don’t understand. You are high and lifted up, yet You also live with those who are humble. Please help us to remember that You are sovereign over all and that You are moving history toward a magnificent conclusion, as You work all things together for our good and Your glory.

Eleven Years

/ Patsy Kuipers / 2 Comments

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
Colossians 3:23-24

Dear Readers,

July 1 marks the eleventh anniversary of my start in the blogging world. Buoyed by a lifelong love of writing, years of journaling, and a desire to tell others about God’s faithfulness, I began Back 2 the Garden. I wasn’t sure if anyone would be interested in reading what I wrote or how long I would continue. All I knew was that God had given me a lifetime of examples of His goodness and an ability to craft stories, an ability I longed to use for His glory.

Writing can be a lonely endeavor. There have been many times when my words were met with silence, and I wondered if they mattered or if I should even keep writing. Inevitably, during those times, the Lord would nudge someone to comment on how one of my posts had helped them, and I would keep writing, reminding myself that I’m responsible for using the gift God has given me, trusting Him for the outcome.

So, here I am, eleven years and nearly 300 posts later, still plugging along. I like to think that my writing has improved over the years, as I’ve taken classes, practiced my craft, and labored over finding just the right words to convey the message behind each post. Still, the goal of glorifying God and encouraging others remains the same.

Some of you have been reading my posts from the beginning, while others of you are more recent visitors. Regardless of your tenure, thank you! I pray you’ll always leave feeling happy you stopped by, having found at least one seed of hope-filled truth to plant in your spiritual garden.  

And here, with a few edits, is the post that started it all on July 1, 2014:

Consider it pure joy

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
James 1:2-3

It was February 1998, and I was feeling anything but joyful. Ten months before, my beloved husband, Ray, had died of a massive heart attack a few weeks after his 39th birthday. Even though I was a rational person and knew all too well the details of what had happened, on some level, I maintained a protective mantle of denial. I couldn’t accept or fathom how he could go to work one sunny spring Saturday and never return home to me and our two young daughters. But bit by bit, the reality dripped into my soul, creating an underlying sadness that colored many of my days.

In preparing for Ray’s funeral, I wrote a letter to him, which one of our pastors read during the service. Among other comments, I stated that he’d not only left a lasting legacy in the lives of our daughters, but also in the beauty of our garden. You see, Ray had a horticulture degree, and he planted many interesting things in our yard. He would tell me about the special plants he selected and teach me their names. Although he didn’t shun better-known plants like pansies and daffodils, he was also interested in having unique items. When several of his horticulture colleagues paid a visit and walked the garden with me after Ray died, oohing and ahhing over various specimens, I took note all over again how special that part of his legacy was. I also recognized how important it was for me to learn how to take care of it; otherwise, it would only be a matter of time before it was gone.

And so that February day found me outside, preparing to remove the blanket of leaves that still enshrouded the planting beds, with an aching in my heart as I longed for Ray and wished he were there to help me remove those leaves. As I started clearing the beds, I noticed a number of the perennials Ray planted were beginning to emerge from the soil. Seeing those plants and knowing they had persevered through the cold, dark winter gave me a glimmer of hope. If they could make it through that stark season, maybe I could survive my season of darkness.

Little did I know, gardening would become my passion, providing many moments of hope and healing, as well as a very real connection to Ray. Not only has God faithfully provided for me and my family since Ray’s death, but He has ministered to me over and over again through the beauty of his creation. While “playing in the dirt”, I’ve been reminded of his promises, seen tangible examples of Scriptural principles, and found solace for my soul.

This blog is born of a desire to share some of what I’ve learned spiritually and horticulturally. I hope you’ll come back to the garden with me.

Awesome God

/ Patsy Kuipers / 2 Comments

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
Psalm 95:3-6

I recently spent several days vacationing in the Southwest. I flew into Albuquerque and out of Las Vegas. In between, I put over 1000 miles on a rental car, visiting sites that left me awestruck and constantly using words like incredible, majestic, and vast, and their synonyms in a feeble attempt to describe the wonders that unfolded before me.

As I traversed parts of New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Nevada with my family, observing one magnificent sight after another, several thoughts replayed:

  • The scale is totally different from what I’m used to in Georgia. Everything was massive and open. We could see for miles and felt dwarfed by rock formations, canyons, and deserts.
  • What must the first inhabitants have thought when they reached the edge of imposing topographical features like the Grand Canyon or the Mojave Desert? The same with the settlers who came after them. Did they have an “uh oh!” moment and think about turning back? And how about those who built the railways and roads? It took tremendous effort to get across the rugged terrain.
  • Plant life was less varied and sparser than at home, yet I marveled that anything could survive in such harsh conditions.

But one thought surpassed them all and provided recurring background lyrics for our journey: “How great Thou art, Lord! How great Thou art!” Though I often think that when working in my garden, surrounded by colorful flowers, lush greenery, busy bees, and beautiful butterflies, the grandeur of the sites we visited gave me a greater sense of God’s supremacy, omnipotence, and boundlessness. Like Job, I confessed, “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth.” (Job 40:4)

The more I’ve pondered the sights I was privileged to see, the more I realize that the answers to all my wonderings come back to God, the One who spoke this beautiful world into existence, who imparted wisdom to those created in His image so that we might problem solve, build, tend, and persevere, and who sustains even the tiniest plants in the harshest conditions.

Photographs can never do justice to the beautiful sights they represent. Still, I hope they, and the verses I’ve chosen to accompany them, will encourage you to magnify the Lord with me as we exalt His name together (Psalm 34:3).

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable (Isaiah 40:28).

Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand (Job 26:14)?

Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit (Psalm 145:7).

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him (Psalm 8:3-4)?

Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens – what can you do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave – what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea (Job 11:7-9).

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance (Isaiah 40:12)?

I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
Psalm 145:1-5

Homesick

/ Patsy Kuipers / Leave a comment

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21

To Stay or Go?

Many Christians have a life verse that sums up their calling and motivates them in their walk with the Lord. I have so many verses that sustain me depending on what I’m going through that I long thought it would be impossible to pick just one. I finally realized Philippians 1:21 was it.

After the Apostle Paul made the bold declaration recorded in that verse, he went on to say:

If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account (Philippians 1:22-24).

Paul was in a Roman prison when he wrote the letter to the believers in Philippi. Surely, he would have been better off had the Lord delivered him by calling him Home, yet he was willing to stay for the sake of the gospel and his brothers and sisters in Christ.

Holding on for Our Sake

I thought of this passage multiple times as I sat by Mom’s bedside as she spent the last days of her life in the hospital. I can’t imagine the pain she was in or how much she suffered, physically and emotionally, after she had surgery to repair her hip, broken in a fall. She was barely ever still, and the bruises from the fall, her surgery, and multiple blood draws created a pitiful patchwork on her paper-thin skin.

Those caring for her marveled that one so tiny could endure so much. Yet those of us who knew Mom best recognized the determination that had kept her going when faced with difficulties throughout her life, based on her faith and summarized in her life verse: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13). After loving us so well for so long, it was as if she didn’t want to leave us, even though it would have been so much better for her to depart and be with her Savior.

Letting Go of Loved Ones

Mom was my best friend, lifelong cheerleader, and most ardent prayer warrior. I couldn’t imagine life without her, much less praying for the Lord to call her Home. Even so, after watching her struggle mightily without making any progress toward recovery, that’s precisely what I did.

Still, she lingered. It was only days, but they were days that felt like months, as one dissolved into another. A friend observed, “Maybe there’s one more person for the Lord to touch with her life.” Perhaps there was.

Mom passed away ten days after she fell. She had fought the good fight, finished the race, and was pain-free in the presence of Jesus at last. I rejoiced in her victory over death, secured by the blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

Longing for Home

I recently had the opportunity to visit my childhood home. When the current owner noticed my second slow drive-by, she came out to see what was up. As I approached her in the driveway, I introduced myself and apologized for bothering her. I was so overcome with emotion that I could barely speak the words: “I grew up in this house.”

I didn’t ask to go in, but even after exiting the house for the last time 37 years ago, I can still envision the exact layout of the rooms, as well as the furnishings. And when my dreams feature a house I’ve lived in, it’s always that one, despite the fact I’ve lived in my current home almost three times as long.

Pondering the wave of emotion that swept over me as I stood in front of my childhood home has led me to wonder what it will be like when I get to my forever Home, the one Jesus is preparing for me (John 14:2-3). I bet it will feel familiar and oh-so-perfect because, as C.S. Lewis said, “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

Promised Reunion

Mom and Dad, my husband, baby sister, grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters-in-law, friends – the list of loved ones who’ve gone on to Glory keeps growing. Just as watching loved ones suffer changes our perspective, making it easier to let them go, having more loved ones in Heaven makes it even dearer. Though being in the presence of Christ is enough to fuel our desire to depart and be with Him, the assurance of a grand reunion adds to our longing for Home.

I began with my life verse, and I will end with one of my very favorite passages, one that gives us that assurance and makes me want to shout, “Hallelujah! I can’t wait!” whenever I read it:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4).

Dear Lord, we long to be with You and rejoice in knowing that one day You will call us Home to live with You forever. Until that day, please help us be faithful to walk worthy of Christ’s gospel and diligent in completing the good works You’ve prepared for us.