Good weekend and thoughts on a well-watered garden

This weekend was lovely. Friday was rainy, which made for a productive/relaxing day at home for me. That night Matt and I went to a musical, a great production of Bonnie and Clyde: a New Musical put on by the talented kids at McCallum Fine Arts Academy.

Saturday dawned bright, cool and beautiful. I had brunch with a friend, then Matt and I ran some errands and enjoyed the cool weather. In the afternoon Matt watched college football while I worked on a project. I may not know what a forward pass incomplete offside tackle is, but I enjoy it when we can be in the same room, doing different things, but still attentive to each other and enjoying each others company. We cooked dinner together that night and enjoyed the cool weather AGAIN with a walk around our neighborhood. Sunday evening we experimented in the kitchen making homemade onion rings and fried stuffed jalapenos. Not healthy in the least, but oh so good. Mondays are for healthy food. :-)

We've had fun cooking together on the weekends lately...a couple of weeks ago we grilled some peaches brushed with a fruity balsamic glaze. Yum.

Weekends like that bring me joy, plain and simple.
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In other news, our small group is going through a marriage-strengthening curriculum this fall. One of the chapter 1 assignments was to read the verse below and ponder any possible implications on our lives/marriages.

Isaiah 58:11
The LORD will guide you always;
He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

I immediately thought of my own backyard garden. While most of my plants do well getting watered every 2-3 days, there is one pepper plant that is extremely needy and droops at the slightest hint of dryness. Nearly every day I look out the window and see the leaves curling in on themselves, stem curving down toward the earth like it has nothing left to live for in this cruel, cruel world. It always perks back up as soon as I rush out to give it some water, but I doubt that little plant is very healthy.

While the pepper plant is definitely still alive and even producing peppers, know this up-and-down cycle isn't promoting strong growth. I'm sure the pepper would thrive and produce bigger, tastier produce if it could receive a steady supply of water at regular intervals during the day.

Many aspects of my life/marriage can relate to that pepper right now. Round and round and round we go, an endless cycle of up and down, distress and delight. I long for that cycle to transform into a strong time of consistent growth, a time that strengthens us and helps us withstand the times of drought. I want to have roots that are deep, reaching for water even when it seems scarce. My roots often feel weak, and I bend and droop during hardship instead of growing stronger though His care.

God promises that He will take care of us, if we will only trust Him. He will make us like a well-watered garden, sustained by a steady, constant flow from His endless spring. Isn't that an amazing promise? No matter how sun-scorched the land may be around me, I want my marriage to be well-watered and deeply rooted. God has promised it, and I trust Him.