Slow down, be quite, breath deeply, thank God!

By Norma S. Bixler
     Publisher/Editor

I sincerely thank all of you who have reached out to me during these past few weeks while dealing with a personal crisis concerning my daughter’s health. Just knowing that there are others out there offering prayers in our behalf and lending a helping hand have given me the strength to fulfill my commitments. I solicit your continued prayers as I don the primary “caregiver’s hat” while continuing with the mission of Mature Lifestyles.

Yes, life is full of ‘ups and downs’. When the ‘downs’ come along, I find myself leaning on the teachings of my dear father. Try harder and seek out ‘a blessing’ from the experience as Luke 11:9 tells us ... “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” And, it did. My blessing came in the form of an email from a writer unbeknown to me.  On this particular day I was so heartbroken, sad, frustrated, hurried and harried. I seemed to be spinning out of control.  Little did the sender know that with the submission of one of her articles for publication consideration that she was also sending a blessing to me. Or, did she?

Upon first reading, a strong message rang loud and clear – slow down, be quiet, breath deeply, thank God.  Digesting and using a little imagery I took a walk with Judith Burton Walter and spent ‘Time in the Garden’ counting my blessings. It quickly pulled me off ‘the pitty pot.’ I became more focused on what I should constructively doing. And, as her writing points out I promise to actually take many walks in a garden observing and interacting with all the facets of nature and hopefully, ‘carrying the aura of the garden with me.’ 

Latch on to every word of Judith’s beautifully written, “Time Spent in the Garden,” and take your walk in the garden and perhaps will feel God meeting you at your point of need.

Time Spent in the Garden

By Judith Burton Walter

Today is a perfect day for visiting the public gardens. It is in the mid sixties, sun shines brightly, the air is crisp and the sky is vivid blue splattered with slightly out of focus white clouds.  I come alone. Sometimes I interact with people around me and often I choose solitude as my companion.

I make a point of being attentive as I walk through the gardens. I observe not only the plant life but also the birds and insects and light and shadow and textures. These things teach me lessons while I am here. They teach about balance, rhythm, ebb and flow, withdrawal and rest alternating with growth and movement. Perhaps my needs determine the lessons or perhaps it is God meeting me at my point of need. 

Today I am in the Japanese Garden. I crunch down the gravel laden pathway and enter the avenue of bamboo. The gentle rustling of the canes is like a mantra. I hear the message--slow down, be quiet, breath deeply, thank God. My steps slow through this mysterious walkway. The bamboo draws my attention upward. I wonder if that is the reason it is here--to make me look upward. The low pitched sounds help me pull inside myself and become centered within. As I leave the shaded walkway, I enter the sunlight again. The warmth feels good on my face and my eyes are drawn even further upward to look at the sky. There are clouds drifting quickly, all in a row, toward the sunlight. One lone thunderhead peeps over the horizon.  My prayer is formed. God, keep me focused on the sunlight and moving toward the warmth and the light. Help me not focus on the dark cloud on the horizon. Keep me moving toward the sun.

I sit in the pavilion for a while. The simplicity of this garden is like a balm to my spirit. I take time to enjoy just being. Quiet, alone, surrounded by order and beauty, I breathe deeply. My muscles relax. When I rise to continue my walk, I move more slowly. I carry the aura of the garden with me.

Halfway up the hill, I sit on a bench to rest. Here I can watch the birds flitting about and hear them--singing, chirping, talking to each other. I hear the rustle of leaves as the wind blows and critters scurry under the shrubs and plants. Tinges of autumn colors tell me the trees are tuning up for their autumn symphony.

A young couple comes toward me from up the hill. They walk hand in hand, pointing out plants to each other. Their love and happiness are obvious. When I visit the gardens, I spend some time wondering about the people around me. What is their story? What do they think is the story of the grey haired lady resting on the bench? Do they notice me at all? I often feel invisible to the rest of the world.

As they approach, they smile and say good morning. Yea! I am not invisible.

Editor’s Note: Judith Burton Walter, a resident of Franklin, grew up in Wilson County. During her career as a counselor and teacher, she published articles in professional newsletters and for several years wrote a weekly newsletter for parent.  Since retiring, she has written fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction.  She is an active member of the Council for the Written Word in Williamson County. “Time Spent in the Garden” has been published in Muscadine Lines, an online journal for Southern Writers.