Its been a stupendously long time since I blogged but I received a really rather lovely email today which reminded me why I started to write in the first place.

I shall oblige you, and other faithful readers, by giving you a tiny piece of my mind.

Normally that last phrase conjures up illuminating someone about how very annoyed you are by their existence. But not today. I am not annoyed with you at all. Not even a little. In fact, I want you to draw up a chair and sit with me a while. Its been too long since we have done that hasn’t it? Just you and me and a few words exchanged… some thoughts shared and some time spent wastefully and yet purposefully.

Deep breath.
Slow down.
Stop.

Hello.

Today I realised that in exactly one month I will have been married for 14 years. That is no small potatoes these days. In fact its 14 years longer than some Hollywood starlet types reach. Jon and I have had our ups and downs. Some very big ‘ups’ and some rather low ‘downs’ but we have remained together… and more than that we seem to respect and love each other more, the older we grow.

I think part of the reason for this is a principle is found in an obscure line of an even more diverting nursery rhyme:
“Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?”

That phrase is really interesting for me.
“How does YOUR garden grow?”
In terms of marriage, or any kind of relationship, we need to ask what is growing. What are we making room for and what is flourishing?

In short, I think some of us need to have a WEEDING anniversary. We need to have a look at anything threatening, unhealthy, overhanging or dangerous in our marriage and “lop it awf” quick stylee.

In my wedding, I am pretty certain that my Dad (who married me) used the words “What God has joined together let no man put asunder.”
That word could be looked at lopsidedly… it could be said as two words:
“AS” and “UNDER.”

I don’t want what God wants at the top to become the bottom. I don’t want what God prioritises to be passed over, poo pooed or somehow made paltry.

I may need to do some weeding to make sure that there is nothing in my garden that should not be there. How about you?