We’ve lived here for over 15 years. The summer after we moved in my sweetie discovered what we thought was a climbing rose in the back yard. We moved it. And by we I mean he moved it. My sweetie does the gardening around this place and I love him for it. We do have the prettiest yard on the block.
Once the rose was moved it flourished and became the bush (not climber) that it was intended to be. Over the last couple of years the wild root stock has really asserted itself and we’ve been trying to keep clipping it back. I don’t know if this was the brutal cold of the winter nor not but the wild stock really is present this year and I feel like yanking the thing out except when I went out this morning I saw this.
There are so many rose buds mixed in with the wild rose flowers that I’m not sure I want to pull it out. I guess it needs more tending and I’m the one who tends this – and I haven’t had time to get out there.
There are several passages of scripture about “tending” and “talents” that come to mind. Essentially these come down to taking care of the time, talent and treasure we’ve been given. Learning, making and effort to discover the true treasure and value in the ones we love rather than the things we possess (or that possess us?). This takes some effort on my part. Oh good grief it takes a lot of effort on my part.
Have I mentioned that my sweetie does the gardening in the family?
Have I mentioned that I’m not an outdoorsy type of girl? Given the choice between quilting and taking care of the garden I’m going to choose quilting 90% of the time. Why? because that’s where my talent is and I need to invest time developing that and growing it in a way that is meaningful. I am not complaining when I say this: working 4 days a week seriously cuts into my quilting time. I am very grateful to have a job. Two actually. Three yes there’s three. The shop I work in, Generation Q Magazine and teaching quilting where ever I can. I love this!! This all leads back to the talent and taking the time to develop and grow it. That means nurturing those important relationships and a lot of office-y type things as well (think the hand outs I give to students.) It’s all part of developing and growing. Investing in that talent.
And one of these days I’ll invest a little bit more time in that rose bush.
God bless!
Teri
A Quilter's Heart 