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I’m a gardener of average aptitude, which doesn’t stop me from trying every year. I recently bought my mom a flowering hanging basket.

“Good luck,” I said.

“How do I take care of it?” she asked.

“If I knew I wouldn’t have to buy new ones every year.”

Not sure how long those begonias will last, but likely longer than mine.

One plant I never worry about are my lilies, whose roots trace back to my Aunt Judy. Years ago, I admired some in her yard, and she was eager to share. She pointed out the new young plants forming on the stalks laden with buds yet to bloom.

“When these new plants are bigger, we’ll just snap off the stalks and plant them in your yard,” she said.

I later pushed the miniature plants into the dark soil of my own bare garden. Hurricane Ida and the winter months provided little hope of springtime lilies, but upon the advice of Aunt Judy, I didn’t touch them. I left the scraggly looking plants in place, unaware of what was happening beneath the cold surface. As the weather warmed, the plants grew and the first of many yellow blooms dotted my landscape.

But lilies aren’t the only things I plant. I daily sow prayers with even more faith than I have in those flowers. And I remind myself that just because I don’t see immediate results doesn’t mean nothing’s happening. Even if situations appear bleaker, just like those lilies during storms and winter, I trust that things are happening beneath the surface. In God’s perfect timing, my prayers will burst forth into everlasting beauty.

It will be worth the wait.

 

Ronny Michel may be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.