The Gift
Jun 05, 2021 by Iris Munchinsky
came home since neither of us were any longer in a mood for polite society.
Finally, with the help of sons, the greenhouse popped and was tethered to the garden by stakes. Shelves were added and it looked great. Since the plants were now n the ground, I simply placed left-over flowers on the shelves and waited for the next spring to do its job. Winter arrived, bringing with it gale-force winds, and I began to question the "withstand strong winds" part, but assumed they knew what they were talking about. I had to reconsider the testimonial, however, when we pulled into the driveway one day and witnessed the greenhouse sailng through the air in front of us. Jumping out of the car, we beat it to the street and brought it down, dragging it to a "windless" corner of the yard where it sat in disgrace until this spring.
The greenhouse is now back in the garden, thanks in part to a son who also applied a generous amount of tape to its many cuts and slashes when it had attempted to take flight. As he says, it looks like a bad shaving job.
I say all this to agree with Robbie Burns, who intoned, "The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft angley." In other words, we can make plans, but can't guarantee the outcome. I even notice this when writing. Often, my characters surprise me by doing things I don't expect and I have to figure out how to get them out of it. From Ullapool, Scotland to Acapulco, Mexico, they seem to have a mind of their own and take off in a direction I didn't intend.
There is, however, Someone who not only directs our plans, but also guarantees the outcome. Psalm 37:23 states that the steps of a good man (woman) are ordered by the Lord. That's good to know when everything seems to be going awry. So take heart, and don't give in to discouragment if your greenhouse suddenly becomes untethered and flies out to meet you. God is still in control and He alone is able to guarantee the outcome.
Finally, with the help of sons, the greenhouse popped and was tethered to the garden by stakes. Shelves were added and it looked great. Since the plants were now n the ground, I simply placed left-over flowers on the shelves and waited for the next spring to do its job. Winter arrived, bringing with it gale-force winds, and I began to question the "withstand strong winds" part, but assumed they knew what they were talking about. I had to reconsider the testimonial, however, when we pulled into the driveway one day and witnessed the greenhouse sailng through the air in front of us. Jumping out of the car, we beat it to the street and brought it down, dragging it to a "windless" corner of the yard where it sat in disgrace until this spring.
The greenhouse is now back in the garden, thanks in part to a son who also applied a generous amount of tape to its many cuts and slashes when it had attempted to take flight. As he says, it looks like a bad shaving job.
I say all this to agree with Robbie Burns, who intoned, "The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft angley." In other words, we can make plans, but can't guarantee the outcome. I even notice this when writing. Often, my characters surprise me by doing things I don't expect and I have to figure out how to get them out of it. From Ullapool, Scotland to Acapulco, Mexico, they seem to have a mind of their own and take off in a direction I didn't intend.
There is, however, Someone who not only directs our plans, but also guarantees the outcome. Psalm 37:23 states that the steps of a good man (woman) are ordered by the Lord. That's good to know when everything seems to be going awry. So take heart, and don't give in to discouragment if your greenhouse suddenly becomes untethered and flies out to meet you. God is still in control and He alone is able to guarantee the outcome.