As some of you may know, I planted a number of viburnum bushes a few years ago to add a privacy fence to a section of my yard. The first two years after I planted them, the bushes grew rapidly and got to about six feet in height. This result was due to the fact that we received good rains during their first two years, which greatly enhanced their growth to very healthy levels. Then, in 2025, Florida experienced a serious drought that has also continued so far through 2026.
The result of this drought is that my viburnum bushes have struggled more these past two years. Also, I was unprepared for the drought, so I had not prepared myself (and my bushes!) for the dry weather.
Matthew 6:26 – Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?
This scripture is well known for sharing how God cares for all His creatures, so He surely will provide for us. Just as God provides for the birds of the air, God promises to faithfully meet our needs when we need them, however, not necessarily when we want them. Instead of constantly praying for rain, and being frustrated if it didn’t rain, I instead found an alternate solution to my problem by a friend suggesting the following solution. He suggested I use a number of hoses I already had available in my yard to combine them, making it reasonable to reach all of my coveted viburnum bushes! I am able now to provide water to my bushes when needed, also providing me needed exercise! This has turned out to be a good solution to an issue that, last year, frustrated me greatly. It has also helped me better understand how God provides when we need it, rather than when we want it. His approach educated me regarding the needed solution!
I hope this lesson teaches me to better embrace a spirit of surrender to Him. I pray that I can better move forward in faith, letting go of my need to figure out everything myself. It means acknowledging God’s sovereignty and trusting Him even when you don’t understand His plan.
I hope, and pray often, that the drought in Florida and throughout the SE US can soon end. However, I pray more for the farmers growing needed crops and homeowners (like me) who still have yards that we want to look nice for our neighbors and friends when they visit, and for people just driving by.
God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good!