Details, Details, Details—
Maybe it’s me, but have you ever noticed how small details suddenly become big details? And once you are aware, you notice it everywhere you look. I have a tendency to fixate on something and drive myself crazy with it. Now you know what I am talking about—you focus on one thing, and it becomes an obsession until you wear it out.
When I realized that my walled garden was going to be a reality, thanks to my sweet husband, I became totally obsessed with buying bulbs and flowers. For weeks, the joke at our house was that the delivery truck was bringing another box of bulbs. When I noticed a flower blooming in someone’s yard, I wanted it in my garden. I would like to tell you that this is a new passion, but it has been this way with every planting season in the last few years. Then the most wonderful/worst thing happened—I found a wholesale place to buy bulbs by the hundreds! Oh, the glory of it all! However, one tiny detail escaped my thoughts…I was out of room in the garden. Oops! That tiny detail became a big one.
My mind went into high gear, as I thought of a plan to disguise the fact that I had overpurchased bulbs. I solved this quickly by planting them in planters carefully placed around our home. Whew! That was a close call.
Last year, I finally got a Queen Anne’s Lace plant to live in my garden. I had noticed that one lady near us had these “weeds” in her garden, and they were beautiful. So, I transplanted one, and I was elated! At last, my garden was complete. Nestled among the roses was this one plant with delicate, white, lacy blooms. I was in heaven.
During the night we had a strong windstorm, and my little plant was blown over and the stems were bent and damaged. I staked it and tied it up and watched it die. My obsession was over, and I resolved to be satisfied with what I had and stop buying plants and bulbs— a temporary state due to my disappointment.
This spring, I walked into the garden every morning, looking over my little plants and seeing what returned from last year. I noticed these interesting sprouts all over my garden, and I thought they looked familiar, so I didn’t remove them with the weeds. Oh, my goodness! As they quickly grew, I knew that it was Queen Anne’s Lace! The little dying plant from last year had successfully produced enough flowers to cover a large area. It’s taking over!
Neal said that he thought we were going to have to take back the garden. Queen Anne’s Lace is everywhere and blooming profusely, and we may have to remove hundreds of them. I totally agreed with him, while in my mind thinking “how many will there by next year?” If one plant produces hundreds of seeds, how many will I have next year? Makes sense, when I think about the millions of them lining the roadsides here in the South. There is a reason there are so many.
Details, tiny details that have now become big details! I just have to laugh to myself. I know God has a sense of humor. I was obsessing over one little plant, and all the time, God knew that a big surprise was coming! I just love that.