A Gardeners Forum
Posted By: 4Ruddy I am trying to understand.... - July 17th, 2005 at 01:45 PM
It is no secret that the past few months (all year actually) has been very trying for me. One difficult thing after another. Hubby's long ordeal with the back surgery and now an unidentified mass in his hip that they believe to be cancer. Now, 10 months off work, we are financially wiped out..only to have our baby diagnosed as autistic. And now waiting to find out what type of treatment he will require and possibly having to find a way to re-locate for that treatment. And, my ordeals with chronic fibromyagia make it VERY difficult to carry the bunt of the load at home. And to think, last summer, when I came to the forum...my biggest crisis was white flies and a gardenia bush that needed transplanting! grinnnn I don't ask "why" very often...I have been through enough in my life that the "why" isn't really the important question, HOW is the much more urgent question on my mind these days. I am saying all of this to let you know that tonight..I am peaceful, calm and happy...mainly because Peanut laughed last night...and he did again tonight.
I have made some VERY special friends here. Some of you that I feel I have known forever. At times when we are "playing" ...it is almost as though we are all sitting around the kitchen table...there for each other. I just don't want you all to think that I am an all gloom & doom! We ALL have our "things" to carry and that's okay. I pray for you all as I know and can certainly tell that you pray for my family & I, and I just wanted to thank you all!
So, I want to share a little story that has helped me not ask "why"...in hopes that it will help you with whatever you are having to carry today!
(cont. in next post)
Posted By: 4Ruddy Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 17th, 2005 at 01:47 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >
> >The Ant and Brenda's Contact Lens: a true story.
> >
> >Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite
cliff. She
> >was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during
this, her
> >first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped
against her
> >eye and knocked out her contact lens. "Great", she thought.
"Here I am on
> >a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of
feet to the
> >top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry."
> >
> >She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the
ledge.
> >But it just wasn't there.
> >
> >She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She
prayed for
> >calm, and she prayed that she may find her contact lens.
> >
> >When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her
clothing for
> >the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now
that she
> >was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly
see across
> >the range of mountains. She thought of the bible verse "The
eyes of the
> >Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth."
> >
> >She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know
every stone
> >and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please
help me."
> >
> >Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the
cliff they
> >met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the
cliff. One
> >of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact
lens?"
> >
> >Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the
climber saw it?
> > An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the
rock, carrying
> >it!
> >
> >The story doesn't end there. Brenda's father is a cartoonist.
When she
> >told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the
contact
> >lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with
the
> >caption, "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this
thing. I can't
> >eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me
to do,
> >I'll carry it for You."
> >
> >I think it would do all of us some good to say, "God, I don't
know why You
> >want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's
awfully
> >heavy. But, if You want me to carry it, I will."
> >
> >God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
> >
> >Yes, I do love GOD. He is my source of existence and my Savior.
He keeps
> >me functioning each and every day. Without Him, I am nothing,
but with
> >Him... I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
(Phil.
> >4:13) thumbup
Posted By: afgreyparrot Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 17th, 2005 at 06:36 PM
Vanessa...

...thank you.


kissies


Cindy
Posted By: Fernie Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 17th, 2005 at 06:45 PM
me too.....thanks
Posted By: Meg Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 17th, 2005 at 08:34 PM
Thanks for sharing that.. made me a bit weepy eyed.
Posted By: JV Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 17th, 2005 at 08:40 PM
Vanessa thanks a lot for sharing it really does make you think.
Jimmy
Posted By: pcgrav Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 17th, 2005 at 08:40 PM
kissies
Posted By: jogger Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 17th, 2005 at 08:55 PM
Vanessa, that was lovely kissies

Doreen.
Posted By: 4Ruddy Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 17th, 2005 at 09:45 PM
Well, ya know, I just got to thinking last night...you know me & my sappy head sometimes. We ALL have things that we go through...and thank God they are at different times! But, I was calling each of you by name and thinking of the things we are all dealing with...health issues, RELATIONSHIP issues, finances, children, grandchildren, jobs...etc...yep, we all have them. And my load is no bigger than yours....so I am glad we are all hangin together! You guys ARE the BEST!!!! thumbup
Posted By: topcat Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 18th, 2005 at 12:55 PM
That was a great story. I am sorry to hear about all the difficulties in your life right now.

I would also like to introduce myself as a fellow fibro sufferer. My name is Colleen, I am single parent to a special needs child and a hopefully NT child(hasn't been tested yet). Last summer I bought and trained a dog to be a canine companion for independance/phychological for her. I have and love guinea pigs, only 4 right now, last year at this time I had 13, most of who passed this past winter and spring. When I can I like to sew,cross stitch and look at my garden(I do all the planting too).

OH I live in a prairie province in western Canada.
Posted By: pcgrav Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 18th, 2005 at 08:12 PM
[Linked Image]Colleen-- to our wonderful garden place!
And although it seems as though most here are having some really hard times(which they truly are) we still have a lot of wonderful times and make truly exceptional friends here though they may be long distance! We are glad you found us and glad you are here. If you haven't done so may I suggest you also introduce yourself up in the "New Members" section of the Garden Forum Front Page so that even more of us can welcome you as well. And if you ever have a question or would just have something to say feel free to do so. If you have actual gardening questions placing them in the apppropriate topic(ie houseplants, water gardens,etc.) will get you the quickest responses. But if you need help the Hostesses are listed at the top of the page and you can pm them and ask for their help and they will do their best. To pm someone click on their name and you will get their profile page there will be an option there to send a Private Message--that is a pm. Or if you are reading a post by someone and want to send a pm just click on the little icon of two people and an envelope at the top of the post you are reading.

Well-- I've babbled enough--Let me say WELCOME once more--Glad you are Here!!!
Posted By: Anonymous Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 18th, 2005 at 10:05 PM
Simply wonderful story.Vanessa kissies

G-Mom grinnnn
Posted By: weezie13 Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 18th, 2005 at 11:39 PM
Vanessa,
OH MY GAWD!!!!
Great~Great story there!!!
I had read that story and thne I was putting on my makeup to go somewhere's, and was I couldn't get it on, such a good~good story...

And so true!!!

And sooooooooo motivating....

Thank you for posting that!!!!! cool kissies kissies
Posted By: Anonymous Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 19th, 2005 at 06:58 AM
vanessa, i love that story. hope things are better today for you!
Posted By: Triss Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 19th, 2005 at 07:49 AM
Vanessa...

Absolutely beautiful story. Thanks so much for sharing. You know, I was told once that only very special parents get autistic kiddos and while I often feel like I blunder through it, I know that Zackey was brought into my life for a reason and has made my life bloom for having him near me.

Welcome Colleen, you sure have a full plate too, may I ask, what is NT???
Posted By: Kareena Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 19th, 2005 at 08:34 AM
Vanessa,

Thank you so much for sharing the story. I guess the saying "If it don't kill me, it will make me stronger" is true! I know you will survive anything that is tossed your way!

Kareena
Posted By: blooming idiot aka moutain laurel Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 19th, 2005 at 08:48 AM
GGGGreat story!! reminds me of the story about the man who was given the job by the Lord to push this huge boulder that was outside his front door. every day for years the man sweated and strained trying to move the rock but never succeeded. now don't hate me cause i forget the moral?! anybody?
Posted By: weezie13 Re: I am trying to understand.... - July 19th, 2005 at 09:01 AM
Here it is......

Quote
A Christian man lived in a humble cabin in the woods. One night, he was awakened by a bright light in his bedroom, and the very presence of the Lord in that bright light. God said to him, "I have a job for you to do." And the man replied, "Lord, I will be happy to do anything you tell me to do." God said, "That huge boulder just outside the front door of your cabin -- every day, I want it to be your full-time work to push that boulder. I want you to do it with all your strength, with all your might, with all your power, every day."

So the next morning, the man got busy, and he pushed, and he pushed; and he pushed that boulder all day long. And he came in that evening, desperately tired, but happy to have done all that day what God had asked. He did the same the next day, and the next and the next. And he continued doing it for years, going out every morning, and pushing on that boulder with all his strength and with all his being, every day.

After years of pushing that boulder every day with all his heart and strength, one day, Satan came to him and said, "You have been pushing that boulder with all of your strength every day, for years, and you haven't moved it one centimeter. I think that God doesn't know what he's talking about, and you're never going to get it moved that way. You're strength is just too small against a boulder that weighs three tons. I think it wouldn't hurt if you just went out there every day, as God said, but just put in your time. You don't have to push so hard. You don't have to push with all your strength. You don't have to put your whole heart and soul into this one. It's not going to make that much difference anyway."

The man thought about what Satan had said. And he decided that, after all these years of pushing, with no result, Satan was probably right. He didn't have to exert so much energy on a boulder that he obviously could not move anyway. So he started, day by day, to slack off a bit, take longer lunch breaks, not push quite so hard.

Just a few nights after Satan came to him, the Lord appeared to him again, bedroom filled with light, God in the midst of that light. God said, "You aren't pushing quite so hard on that boulder as you did for all those years. What's wrong."

The man said, "Lord, I have struggled and pushed and shoved and labored against that boulder for years -- and I have done it with all my heart and soul and mind and strength, and I have not moved that boulder one centimeter in all these years. I'm tired, Lord. I have accomplished nothing, and I fear I have failed you."

And God said, "My dear, dear child: For years, you have faithfully done all I asked you to do. You have pushed with all your strength and heart and being against that boulder. You have not failed me. You have done exactly what I asked you to do."

"But Lord," he replied, "what do I have to show for it? I have exactly nothing. Nothing has changed."

The Lord replied, "You're wrong. Look at yourself. YOU have changed. Look at your strongly muscled arms. Look at the strength in your chest and shoulders and back. Look at your calloused hands. Look at your legs, as strong as trees. YOU have grown, you have changed, you have become an immensely stronger person facing every day the immovable, the problem, the trouble, the pain of that boulder. You have proved yourself faithful to me."

"But Lord," the reply came, "I haven't accomplished anything. I still haven't done what you said. I still haven't moved the boulder at all."

God sort of laughed, a friendly, gentle, kind laugh, and he said, "Oh my dear loved one, did you ever hear me say to you, 'Move that boulder'? The answer is, No, you never heard me say that. My command for you was to PUSH on that boulder. You have done that wonderfully well. It's MY job to move that boulder. In the right time and the right way, I will move that boulder."
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