Woman Power

No tractor,
no tiller,
no power equipment,
(perhaps a determent),
for my many garden tasks clearly
rely on woman power from me,
my wheelbarrow, myself and I.
There's much to do today - bye-bye.

With a shovel,
or a trowel,
and my red wheelbarrow,
I make many furrows
in the soil.
Yes, it's toil -
but it pays off in the end
as I dig to share with friends,
or enlarge existing beds,
or redesign beds instead.

With the loper
or a pruner,
the welcome gift of hand saw
or the telescoping saw,
I cut and saw
and trim all
the branches, limbs, and canes
once a year again
from the roses, shrubs or trees
on a day when there'a nice breeze.

With a rake
I rake
piles of leaves
then I sneeze.
There's no end
as I tend
each November.
Leaves then slumber
and so does my rake
until spring awakes.

Because I have no tractor
nor a rototiller,
my garden chores are
done through woman power,
a shovel,
a trowel,
a rake, a loper,
or a pruner -
and much muscle and determination
until day's end calls for termination.

There's also much sweat equity, low priced.
Sometimes a little blood is sacrificed.
A stiffness in my back and hands
as I work to manicure the land.
There's soil-stained fingers and socks
as I re-purpose found rocks.
There's a suntan felt at the end of the day.
Gardening often feels like work, not play.
But tomorrow is another day...
in which this gardener can't wait to play!

* * * * *

There's another strength
that gives us strength.
It's God's strength that comes
just when it's most welcome.

All you have to do is simply ask
and God's strength empowers for each task -
rather physical, mental or emotional,
God answers your request with a strength that's spiritual.

You will never be able to purchase it in a bottle.
This strength can help you overcome what seems impossible.
Yes, God's strength will help you win
when you ask for help from Him.

His incomparably great power for us who believe.
That power is like the working of his mighty strength.
Ephesians 1:19

Him who is able to do
immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to His power that is at work within us.
Ephesians 3:20