SURVEYING THE RANCH

Nearly every day I survey our property.  I say "property" loosely.  It's not as if we own acreage, or cattle.  We sit on a corner lot two blocks from a river that runs through our mid-sized Midwestern town.  In fact, as many times as I have walked this double lot you would think I have every blade of grass memorized, every weed located, and every crabapple numberered.  Pretty much:)  We finished our patio project a couple of weeks ago by placing a patio table, chairs, umbrella and two very comfortable chaise loungers on the newly christened cement.  I now have a new area to survey daily.  I landscaped and planted plants and bushes inside and outside the perimeter of the fence we installed around the patio.  Part of my surveillance now includes checking the status, health, and growth of the new planted flora - to look for any signs of struggle. I took great care to put fertilizer in the hole when I planted them and dosed them with a sprinkling can of Miracle Grow after mounding the earth up around the base of each plant.  Every day I inspect them, looking for signs of shock that can happen when you transplant a plant from a nursery pot to its ultimate destination - the real earth.  Why do I do that?  I suppose because I want to create a botanical wonderland, a retreat, a respite of sorts in and around this patio oasis.  I want to stave off any signs of destruction to these plants that I hand picked for their beauty, their color, their size and role I had in mind for this garden extraordinaire.  Caring about my ultimate goal of developing an oasis in my back yard where I can find peace and rest, enjoy company on a summer night, sip a glass of wine, take a nap in the sun, read a book, type a blog post or just think, I check on the plants constantly.  I want to provide the plant life with the things it needs to flourish, to grow, to become full grown - mature.  Really I want them to succeed because they highlight the the stamped cement, the fence, the curve of the landscaping, the furniture.   They showcase this patio.  God must feel similar.  He hawks over us, desiring we flourish, grow to maturity, highlighting His creation in us.  I picture Him "surveying" His property - His ranch - ME, constantly.  The creator loving His creation - having a purpose of beauty for it.