When it gets to being the hot part of the year, y’all, I have so many things I think back on.  Sipping red Kool-Aid on my Mama Boyce’s car porch ( as she referred to it).  Playing outside in the yard.  Catching lightning bugs.  Eating too many strawberries out of my Papa Clyde’s strawberry patch.  Swimming in the branch at my Mamaw & Papaw’s house.  And going to the garden at both sets of my grandparents’ houses.

My Papaw & Mamaw Austin were very well versed in growing gardens.  They worked so hard to make sure we had our freezers full for winter.  I remember one steamy summer morning, I was about 7 years old.  The daily plans included, going to the garden.  My Papaw had already been to the barn, that morning, to milk the cow, feed the mule Kate,  & other farmish related duties.  When he got back to the house, he perhaps made mention that one of the barn cats had had kittens.  Well, don’t you know that perked my ears up real quick.  Then, y’all I started with the begging to go see them.  Goodness Gracious why would they expect me to wait around whilst there were things at the barn that I needed to be looking at?  Mamaw said it was time to go to the garden anyway, so off we went.

The barn was situated right beside the garden.  So, once we made it down there, it didn’t take long until I had worried Mamaw down to a frazzle & she said I could go in the barn to search for the newly born kittens.  However, she wanted me to wait for Papaw to go inside with me.  Being the obedient & always minding child I was, I started to sneak off to the barn by myself.  Papaw was just taking too long.  I walked up through the dirt rows & when I about got to the end, I heard Mamaw holler.  I turned around & looked & Papaw was beating the ground with his hoe.  Right in the spot where I had been walking.  Well, needless to say, he wasn’t just beating the ground for nothing.  There was a black racer snake that was chasing me up the garden row.  I didn’t even know it.  My Papaw had come in & killed it to protect me.  Even when I was being disobedient.

Now, does that not sound like the Lord?  Even though we may be on a path He told us not to go on, He still watches over us.  Even when we don’t deserve it.  That’s called grace.  The dictionary.com simply gives this definition of grace:

favor or goodwill.

The Lord takes care of us when we have done nothing whatsoever to deserve it.  I have heard it called “unmerited favor”.  That’s what the Lord does for us.  He steps right in & protects His children whether we know it or not.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  NKJV

The Lord is really good at working behind the scenes.  As a matter of fact that’s where He does some of His best work.  So, today, if you feel like you are going through a hard time by yourself, you aren’t.  The Lord is always there watching over us & keeping us from harm.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are safe. NKJV

James 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” NKJV

So, we have done our little version of a garden this year.  It’s a container garden on our back deck.  Because who doesn’t want fresh vegetables?   I reckon we do.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today.  Summer has come in full force here in northeast Mississippi.  We are going to reach the high 90s this weekend.  Along with that comes humidity & mosquitos!  It will be so hot we won’t be able to let our kids go outside & play.  Y’all, it will be hotter than blue blazes.  There is no wonder there are so many Christians in the South. 🙂

Hope you have a blessed day.  Until next time, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.