AI says, “‘Leaving your mark on the world refers to making a lasting and meaningful impact through your actions, contributions, and the way you live, aiming to create something enduring and beneficial for others.”

I think that is a impressive goal.

But then…

The Bible says, “For He (God) knows how weak we are; He remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here.” Psalm 103:14-16 (NLT)

Wow! Can dust leave a mark on the world? Or wildflowers that bloom and die?

Maybe—

Each year at this time we start to see Daffodils or Jonquils blooming alongside the roads in odd places. Sometimes there are the ruins of an old house, or a crumbling chimney nearby. I always imagine a housewife sloshing water in a dishpan and looking out the window, dreaming of adding some beauty to her life. I imagine her saving her money to buy some bulbs, or trading with a neighbor for bulbs, marching outside wiping the flour residue from making biscuits off her hands onto her apron, and kneeling down in the dust to pant those bulbs so she can see them bloom from her window.

Adding some beauty to her world….

… leaving her mark.

She may be gone, but the bulbs she planted long ago still bloom each year and let you know at one time— she was here.

And I have to think… maybe that is how we make a mark. We leave a patch of earth, a little more beautiful than we found it.

The daffodils are making a great show this year, although this area still needs a lot of work.

The tulips I planted two years ago are blooming prolifically in a bed of weeds. They’re still so beautiful, even with the weeds.

An Amaryllis that has thrived on neglect is making a beautiful showing in my small greenhouse.

And so… I’ve decided this year… I want to make my mark by enhancing our land. I’m also doing it to honor God for giving us such a beautiful gift to take care of for Him.

Last week, I was digging up a brick border outside our garden fence. I wanted to use the bricks to make a pad to place a new garden storage shed on. I want to use it to organize all my garden tools in one convenient location.

My husband commented, “You just keep changing one thing into another.”

To which I feel I gave a very wise answer when I said, “Yes I do, but it is because it is not working. When something is not working, you keep changing it until it does work.”😎

My goal is to make flower and vegetable beds that are beautiful, easy to maintain and mow around, and that work with nature to keep the weeds and saplings from intruding into their spaces. And I don’t care how hard I have to work or keep changing one thing into another… I’m determined to do it… and get it right!

I have spent hours this week working alone, after I recovered from the pollen taking me down for a day or two. And then I spent many hours on Friday, Saturday, and even Sunday (Normally I keep Sunday as a day of rest, but due to a tight time crunch, we worked.) working with my husband to put a 5X3 garden shed together in our garage.

My plan was to get it done and place it in the garden so I could take pictures for this blogpost. We finished up at 7:00 p.m. Sunday evening and then it started raining. A pounding rain. So… now this will have to be a two part post. I’m hoping my next post will show it in place, organized with my garden tools, and landscaping of beautiful flowers around it.

Here is the brick pad for the building in process.

Below is the finished product… waiting for the area to be cleaned up and the storage shed finished and in place.

And now… the building in progress as we put it together in our garage. You know it is not going to be an easy build when you pull out the packing and find two “spatulas” to use to coach the walls to slide over each other. It was a bear to put together, with bad instructions, and many times with the pictures drawn in reverse. Thankfully we had a YouTube video of how it went together, or we would have never made it.

Here is a picture of the “spatulas” in case you were wondering what they may look like. 🤗

Finally finished and doing the happy dance.

Now… the verses I quoted above sounds pretty bleak… “we are only dust”… “we bloom and die.” But there is hope in the next verses that follow…

“But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear Him. His salvation extends to the children’s children, of those who are faithful to His covenant, of those who obey His commandments!” Psalm 103:17-18 (NLT)

Just like the daffodils from long ago, that some housewife may have planted, we will make a comeback. His salvation can be passed along by teaching and showing our children and grandchildren how the LORD loves us and has provided eternal life. So really, we never die. We may leave this life, but we will live in the next one with Jesus. And just as the bulbs come back with bigger and better flowers each year. We will come back with new, beautiful, resurrected bodies. No more pain, no more sorrow.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9b (NLT)

So… go out this week and make something beautiful that you, your friends, and your family can enjoy.

Place your mark on the world and pass along the good news of all God has done for us through Jesus.