Plants, Dupes and Steadiness in Slowness
There are many things I didn’t see coming with adulthood. One being the utmost care and overall concern I would have for plants. Additionally surprising, how long I can carry on a conversation about plants.
One minute, you’re at Stanley’s Greenhouse picking flowers for your pots because they’re a pretty color and the next you’re saying things like “perennials” and “mounding”. Before you know it, your summer evenings are spent “dead-heading” (could we not find a better word for pulling off the dead blooms?) and lugging around a two gallon watering can.
Even though I’ve got the lingo down - you did see me say “mounding”, right? - I still have absolutely zero idea what I’m actually doing. But, as is with most adulting, I just show up and figure it out as I go with the certainty that: Everyone is just figuring it out, too.
So, carry on. Show up. Ask the questions, find your own answers if need be - but do it all knowing that most people are never certain. That itch of insecurity? Most of us are trying to figure out how to scratch it, too.
What To Know
I’m thinking about going on the road as a Carrie Underwood Shorts Saleswoman. Door-to-door. Speaking of door-to-door, have you experienced the pest control people who roll up on your house? Literally roll…on their segways, to tell you how quickly they can kill ants? I never know how to disengage from those conversations.
ANYWHO - you’ve heard me beat the drum for these shorts. Good news, some NOTM friends sent links to dupes because I’ll be honest, I’ve never in my life spent $45 on shorts until now.
We’ve got an Amazon option WITH A POCKET.
And Target, as they do, coming through with their own version, too. However, I will not lie, they look a little short for this mom of two who is just trying to be cool without showing my behind. Know what I’m saying?
What To Ignore
Your timelines.
Over the weekend, I was reading by the pool, trying to keep my book from becoming a water-logged pool toy, when I glanced over at Hagan trying to independently put his swim trunks on. He repeatedly tried to put both legs in one hole, and was getting frustrated when it wasn’t working. I was just shy of telling him the problem after his first miss. Where my instinct was to fix it myself, I knew there was value in him solving his own problems.
May putting your legs in the right holes of your pants be your biggest problem today. But, just in case you’re looking really hard at something hard, and you’re wondering when God is going to step in and give you the solution…can I encourage you?
There isn’t a stopwatch on His work. He didn’t say “Go” when you stepped into this season and He’s not watching with His thumb over the button to stop it when you’ve reached the end. He’s not testing you or withholding from you.
His work is neither fast nor slow. He is not paced by our expectations.
His quietness should invite our stillness.
A gentle reminder?
But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake…
(2 Peter 3:8-9)
And paraphrased from The Message:
Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
I sometimes mistake His patience as avoidance. As if I haven’t gotten some mystical combination of things right, so He is avoiding providing the next step, the peace, the certainty, the answer.
Nope.
That’s projecting. I’m taking my responses and making them His. Even though those responses clash so fully with His character.
He is patiently leaning in, sitting in the stray doubts, frustrating questions and unknownness of it all with me.
His patience invites my stillness.
His patience invites my awareness of His presence.
His patience invites another opportunity to stop looking down at my own walk toward eternity in order to see those by the road who haven’t quite found the path yet. Do I see them? Or am I too fixated on being seen?
He’s not ignoring you.
He’s not punishing you.
He’s waiting for you, with you.
He knows we might miss it at first, this invitation to trust Him more. But He’s in no hurry. We are, but He’s not.
So today, when a piece of life doesn’t fit the way you thought it would, you’re twisting it, adjusting it and asking God to remove it or fix it…
Remember:
His promises aren’t slow.
His promises are steady.
And they’re holding you steady.
What to Try
TikTok is a wealth of information, friends. I mean, there are for sure bullets to dodge, but the last three out of five dinners I’ve made have been carry of a quick scroll.
Let me go ahead and add this one to your arsenal.
Ingredients:
1.5-2 lbs chicken breast
Potatoes (I used red potatoes)
Large can of green beans
Butter
Italian dressing mix
Salt & pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
Cut up potatoes
Line chicken down the center of 9x13 baking dish
Put green beans down one side
Put potatoes down the other side
Sprinkle with Italian dressing mix + salt & pepper
Drop butter on top (however much/little you prefer)
Cover with foil
Put in the oven for one hour
In a house that generally hands off left-overs to neighbors - we kept these on hand and ate this meal two nights in a row. THAT IS HIGH PRAISE, MY FRIENDS.
To all the non-meal prepping friends who just want 1-2 dishes to clean after cooking - you are home. You are my people.
May your plants live on, your pants get easily pulled on and your dinner planning carry on this week.
