Before I go back to bed from my insomniac spell...

... when you wake up to use the bathroom and can't get back to sleep, sometimes you start thinking. At least I do. I've been wondering why I like gardening so much. I mean, it's dirty work. There are worms, slugs and all sorts of creepy crawlies to deal with.

As I felt Little Guy move around, it hit me. There are a couple of reasons. First of all , gardening is like being a parent. (Hence the reason I talk about my flowers more than my kids on this blog.) While I can't see the little one inside me, I CAN feel him move now, and my excitement grows. I can't wait to meet him. Similarly, I can't wait to see the pretty flowers that will bloom if all goes well. In gardening, you can do your best to tend the plants, weed, fertilize, etc..., and leave the rest to the Lord. Same with parenting. Second, both are reflections of our Heavenly Father. Gardening reflects His glory through His creation, and gives us a glimpse of what the garden of Eden must have been like before the fall. (For some of us, we might feel like our gardens' are post-fall specimens, but that's ok, too.) Parenting gives me a small idea of what it must have been like to send your only Son to Earth, and then to do the most difficult thing in the world. To watch Him take on the pain and sins and punishment of the people you created.... my heart aches when my 2 1/2 year old gets a boo-boo or her feelings hurt. I cannot fathom having the mercy and grace to let go of my beloved baby in that kind of sacrifice.

Ok, back to bed now. I have a morning date at Starbucks with my neighbor in just a few short hours.