Ellen Chauvin | Soaked & Sprouting

Soaked in God's Word, Sprouting Seeds of Faith

The Dog Days of Fall

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While the majority of the country celebrates the fall season, down here in the south, we are in the midst of hurricanes and heat. There was somewhat of a cool spell, which actually means lower humidity. Temps did fall into the mid-eighties, which was a blessing. If we turn the air conditioner on super cool, we may be able to make a gumbo!

The heat wave makes it difficult to move. We plod along, one day to the next. Scripture reminds me that one say soon, we’ll see a different season. 

I’ll blame this post on the heat. Only photos, not many words. Because words expend much needed energy – which I can’t seem to muster up right now.

Enjoy these photos, some of which look a tad bit like fall!

We’ve had a major influx of dragonflies this season. It’s a challenge trying to shoot them (with the camera, of course!).

I do believe if 2020 was a picture, this would be it:

Beautiful, yet crazy!

Here are a few bright spots, and the colors remind me fall and cooler weather is near:

If you notice, this beautiful Bird of Paradise has a teardrop in her eye. That’s because we were anticipating Hurricane Laura would rip her apart. It was a sad, but needless goodbye. She survived!

Mostly my zinnias are the soft pink colors of spring. They have surprised me lately with rich red and orange colors of autumn.

“There is a time for everything,

    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

     a time to be born and a time to die,

    a time to plant and a time to uproot,

    a time to kill and a time to heal,

    a time to tear down and a time to build” Ecclesiasties 3:1-3 NIV

The Garden of Our Hearts

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Dead brown foliage from the hard winter freeze was a stark contrast to the chartreuse winter weeds that would not stop growing. Digging into the warm soft soil, my brain was whirring with ideas about fresh landscaping. But not yet. The weeds needed to be pulled and the beds cleaned.

Hope soared, not only for the bright daisies, zinnias, gladiolas and lilies I envisioned, but for the new season about to come. It was nothing specific I felt God calling me to, but I sensed Him saying “Change is coming!” I can’t quite put my hands on what it may be, so for now, I’m in the in between. Waiting.

The tension of “Yes, but not yet” should have been heavy, yet my soul was singing while I pulled and tugged at the weeds. The sun warmed my back and I felt my old dry bones rattling and coming to life.

I’m ready to run and jump into spring, planting new flowers, but there’s a lot of work yet to do in the beds. Just like my flower beds, I suppose the Lord is telling me there’s a lot still to prepare before His plans unfold.

Weeds have been growing in me, and I need to dig down and pull them up by the roots. Tough weeds like apathy, pessimism and doubt have ever so slowly crept into my heart. Roots run deep on the weeds of anger and impatience. The garden trowel will have to probe and loosen the surrounding soil before the weeds can be pulled completely out.

Rotting leaves and weeds have to be cleared out. All the rotting gunk that will never produce new growth must be raked out. My heart needs a spring pruning.

Tilling up the hard soil of my heart will allow fresh attitudes of mercy and compassion to grow and spill out.

[tweetthis]Beautiful things grow in soil that had been properly prepared.[/tweetthis]

Nourishing the freshly tilled dirt with the everlasting truth of God’s word is better than the best Miracle Gro mix!

And finally, topping it all off with a layer of prayer mulch for protection will help prevent the weeds from returning.

As I wait and pray, I know God will take the messy flower bed of my heart and prepare it for this new season.

Are you in a season of not yet? In the tension of the wait, we prepare.

[tweetthis]Proper preparation will ensure a bountiful harvest, in due time.[/tweetthis]

“There is a right time for everything: A time to be born; A time to die; A time to plant; A time to harvest;” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (TLB)

Grace be with you,