To shore up what is fragile

"We are your cultivated garden,
You, the Gracious Gardener.
You plant loving kindess in us
and diligently watch over it,
watering it daily with grace
and waiting for growth to follow.
You weed out what is destructive
and shore up what is fragile
Your rejoice in the garden's produce,
Harvesting it with immense delight."
                                           -Joyce Rupp - Fragments of your Your Ancent Name


     I love this imagery of "And shore up what is fragile", I think of the times in my life when God "shores" things up.  The storm comes, waves slashing, the beach is pelted, clouds turning, rain beats down like tears rolling off my cheeks.  And I feel like the storm will never end.  But it always does and left on the now quiet shore are the glass bottles of "my stuff" that God wanted me to get out.
Without these storms, "the stuff" would just float endlessly bouncing upon the next wave ignored deep out at sea.  But by bringing it to the shore I see it, pick it up, look inside and acknowledge God to heal it. 


    I believe in the storm times of our lives its all based on fears.  Can I handle this? What is next? I feel alone! Is there hope and redemption?  There is always redemption, maybe not as quickly as we would like.  There is always a peace I feel after my turbulent storms with God.  There is always another board added to the bridge ot trust between God and I.

Birds at the feeder

I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, "This is what it is to be happy." 

Sylvia Plath