What the Hail

First of all, I must give Chris the credit for the title of this post...I could never come up with something so witty.  Friday night right as we were putting the kids to bed...out of nowhere came a horrid storm.  The wind started blowing, then it started raining, then it sounded like little pebbles were hitting the windows...then the pebbles turned into what sounded like rocks being dumped on the house.  It was more wind and hail than I think I have ever seen.  You won't believe the picts...so, this storm has summoned my heart to post about something that seems to consume my thoughts lately.  It's the yard.  I have never really liked or been into yard work, never really paid that much attention to be honest.  As long as the grass was an acceptable height, I was satisfied.  I might put a few annuals on the porch in a pot; but that was it.  These days, I am kind of into the yard...I'm not sure where the transformation came, but being at home with babies that sleep a lot lends itself to many empty hours...so I do yardwork.  Several times a week actually...and I am constantly amazed at how much there is to learn from the "earth."  I am not sure why this terrible storm came to us the other night...but I know there was a reason.  Winds, rain and hail don't come like that "just because."  And, it made for much work to be done the following day...lots of clean up.  That's the thing...after all the work that we do...planting, mulching, watering, fertilizing, pruning...it is only pretty for a moment.  The weeds always creep back in, storms come, plants die...I can never get all the filth out.  No matter how hard I work, it is never completely perfect.  And just as I think it is...the hail comes.  I planted all my annuals last week in front and in the pots in the back and finally felt like "there, it looks great, now I can just enjoy it...my work is done"...no such luck.  So, as it is with our hearts...after all of the work He does...the weeds always creep back in and the filth is never gone.  

My pots before the storm

My pots after the storm

Hail at the back door

Hail covering the flowerbeds