Living in a Dry and Weary Land

There are a few bloom on the hibiscus

A brave daylily blooms in spite of the heat

We are living in a “dry and weary land.” The heat has been brutal and oppressive. There has been no rain for weeks. The garden whimpers. Even with watering, it is not pretty.

  

Buds on the daylilies dry up and fall off without blooming, the foliage crisps and browns. Plants that have not died, have stopped growing and are stunted as if the effort to stay alive is all they can possibly manage. My fountain grasses and some of the vines have only grown about half as tall as they usually do. Leaves on the hibiscus wilt, but they still manage a few blooms. I round a corner and find that the leaves on some of my well established bushes are brown. Will they survive to come back next year? In the vegetable garden, the tomato plants are alive, but fruit is not setting on as blossoms fail. A scorching wind assaults withering plants day after day after day. Relief is not expected anytime soon.

On the porch, aloe vera, sedum and a jade plant are doing just fine.

Gomphrena can stand the heat.

And yet, and yet. .  all is not lost. Is it possible that there are plants that actually thriving? Yes, the succulent plants seem unscathed by the weather. These are green plant with fleshy leaves, grown mostly for their foliage rather than their insignificant flowers. Apparently those fleshly leaves sustain them quite well.  The papery blossoms on the gomphrena also burst forth. They are sometimes grown for drying and are doing alright in the heat.

Zucchini flourishes in spite, or perhaps, because of the heat.

In the vegetable garden, the squash are quite happy. They enjoy a daily shower and it seems to be enough. They are producing like crazy!

Plenty of squash to eat and share.

Are you living in a "dry and weary land"? There is more than one kind of drought. In my new favorite book, A Praying Life, author Paul Miller speaks of life in the desert though he's not talking about the weather. "A desert can be almost anything. It can be a child who has gone astray, a difficult boss, or even your own sin or foolishness. Maybe you are married to your desert." (pg. 184) Its what happens when reality does not match up to our hopes. He goes on to explain that there can be great growth in the desert. "The desert is God's best hope for the creation of an authentic self. Desert life sanctifies you. You have no idea you are changing. You simply notice after you've been in the desert awhile that you are different. . . After a while you notice your real thirsts." (pg. 185)

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1)

For more information on A Praying Life, you may wish to check this web site:
http://www.navpress.com/product/9781600063008/