Artichokes

Here in So Cal we’re three days into a heat wave, although today temps are only expected to reach 87F. Our garden is well watered and seems to be withstanding the scorching sun much better than it did during last summer’s drought.

My body, not so much: I’m three days into an MS flare. Heat nearly always impacts my MS, causing muscle weakness, fatigue, weird sensations in my legs and arms and cognitive disruptions that I truly dislike. This high pressure system seems to be weighing on me more this summer than last, when I was recovering from some high-pressure life issues. Then, I could function well when the outside air cooled in the evenings. Now, even in our air-conditioned house I’m relying on my cane to help stabilize and keep me on my feet. Although this hasn’t happened in a while, I trust and know that this will pass soon enough.

Daytime trips out to the garden are not beneficial for me right now. So, I’m looking through pictures that I took of our garden plants and flowers that brought joy to my heart, when I’d stumbled upon them. And since I’d recently shared on my Facebook Author page how beautiful our un-harvested artichokes were as they prepared to bloom, I knew I had to share their amazing thistle-like flowers now that they have fully matured and bloomed.

How precious to know that our Lord brings joy and beauty to our lives in times of waiting. In times of resting. In times of testing. For He is there with us, if we will only look for him, stay focused on him, trusting him to produce the flower of perseverance leading us to maturity, not lacking anything!

James 1: 2 – 4

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.