My garden is not going to happen this year. Between the grasshoppers and the lack of rainfall, it has taken a beating that I don’t think it will bounce back from. There may be one tomato plant that has a smidgen of hope but the melons, squash, strawberries, 99% of it has withered away or been eaten to the ground.
Our chickens are falling down on the job with their grasshopper consumption. I won’t mention that to my husband though. He doesn’t need any more reasons to get additional chickens.
I have not been as consistent with the watering as I have been in years past. Part of this is due to time management; I just have not made it a priority. It’s been a disheartening battle against the grasshoppers eating with their voracious appetites, the cats trying to use it as a litter box, and a general malaise I’ve had this year. Sometimes I get in a mental funk where I feel apathetic about things that use to bring me great joy. This year, it’s been towards the garden. I put in the effort to clear the raised bed areas as best as I could, planted with hope, but I think hopelessness hit when it seemed it was a constant battle between grasshoppers, cats, weeds, and no one else seemingly to care to help with watering or ideas to deter the cats or weeds. I have not been vocal about needing help; perhaps that is part of the problem. No one is a mind reader and the things that I see that need doing may be less apparent to others. I struggle to do what I can without saying anything because I feel that others should just know that I might want their help; however, if I’m getting it done without their help, perhaps that’s leads them to believe their input or assistance isn’t needed.
It’s a catch 22 situation. We can continue to work towards a goal or task or whatever we have our heart or mind set on but if we struggle to accomplish it, running out of energy or enthusiasm or our bucket gets tainted with hurt or anger towards others who don’t alleviate our struggles (even though nothing is said to make our struggle known), we are going to find ourselves like my garden. Our spirit becomes not well watered, choking on weeds, eaten and killed by marauders, and we are struggling to survive.
A new Bible study group started at church, going through “The Well-Watered Woman” by Gretchen Saffles. We’ve only covered the introduction but I’m hopeful that the experience of going through a Bible study with others will help me with accountability and prioritizing my own spiritual health. I have a hard time being still and just having quiet time for myself, and as you’ve probably heard, you can’t pour from an empty cup. I need to replenish my spirit and be intentional about listening to what God has in store for me.
If anything else, the lack of rain has really driven home the importance of staying well watered and replenished, both in a physical sense and in a spiritual sense. Right now, we are finally getting rain.
The lightning and thunder are now rolling through the sky as rain splatters on the ground. The air smells cleaner and the temperature has dropped. It’s a relief to sit on the porch and feel the cooler breeze while listening to the sounds of the frogs and insects. The rain has awoken and energized them just like spiritual rain can energize a tired heart. We just have to be ready to accept the rain when it falls. Let it wash over us, fill up our proverbial cups, and rest in the moment.
Going Green In Texas 