Friendship Garden

Friends are like beautiful flowers

 you get to collect

along the path of life

Some are bright and boisterous,

Others are calm and sweet,

The garden  of  your gathering,

Your preferences, the flowers reflect,

Here are some garden practices,

To help you  feed  and protect

The beautiful garden of flowers,

From which your bouquet

of friends

does grow

Here are some tips to utilize,

to help your flowers SHOW

.......................................................................................

Give your garden LOVE.

Think of ways you can show your friends that you care, and put forth effort.  Different friends may appreciate different gestures.  The friend who loves for you to share the joke memes, may not be the friend who enjoys the mocha caramel latte surprise at 11 a.m..  Your other friend may just appreciate your thoughtfulness to call every couple weeks and be a good listener.  Do what your flowers need.  Do what they respond to.

Pull out the weeds !!

This is the hardest one for me.

When you know that  weed is taking root and growing in presence, you MUST not ignore it.  Pretending it is not there could allow it to grow to smother your precious flower.  HONEST LOVE TALK is the recommended treatment.  Apply as directed by your prayer hotline.

Be consistent in your garden work.

If you neglect your garden for any length of time, the thirsty flowers may be droopy, and the weeds may over-run.  Try to visit and give necessary love and care, just as regularly as you can fit it in to your schedule.

Consider the benefit of providing a garden stake for your wonderful flowers that need a little help standing erect.

A stick of some sort, driven into the ground, or a shoulder to lean on in heavy rain, can make all the difference in the world, to the one needy plant..... and a tassel of blossoms could be your reward after the storm.

Apply living water regularly, nourished with composted fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Sharing love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, is sure to nourish your flowers and bring you a bountiful reap of beautiful flowers for your friendship bouquet.  The compost from these fruits will never go bad.

I hope you get to visit your garden soon, and enjoy someone from your friendship bouquet.

For more serious, and Biblical advice, I hope you will visit my friend, Chioma Oparadike, and read her thoughtful piece written to encourage women in their friendships.

Later, when you have time, read about a remarkable friendship in my life here in my article "Berry Berry Muffins for a Berry Special Friend."

Chances are, you are younger than me.  I wonder what wonderful friendships will be a part of YOUR story.  I know God has good things planned for you.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.

Thank you for visiting here.  If you enjoyed this encouragement for women, do consider passing it on in facebook (maybe to one of your beautiful flowers), or in pinterest on a "friendship" board, to help others find and enjoy.  Have a blessed day in the Sonshine!

Grandma Mary Martha 💜