Involvement in Ministry
This Month's Story
Tuesdays in the Garden
by Mari Janzen
A few years ago I found myself dealing with a health crisis. As my health improved, I became aware of others in our church who had found ways of “paying it forward” or giving back to their communities. My career as a nurse had this concept and opportunity in it. I really missed this since I had retired. I know on a daily basis I had opportunities for “common acts of kindness,” but I wanted more.
One evening at our church art group Janice Leppke talked about gathering flowers every Tuesday morning and delivering them to charities. This sounded so good. I knew I needed a way of giving that was enjoyable and because my health stamina wasn’t strong, I needed a project that wasn’t physically draining.
So now I found a way of giving back that really appealed to me, but they didn’t need anyone to join them. With optimism I asked Janice to remember me for future personnel needs.
It pleased me so much when in March she invited me to join “the garden girls.”
Since then every Tuesday at 7 a.m. I join Janice, Barbara and Margaret in the garden. With our flower baskets we gather flowers and greenery for bouquets. At two round patio tables under the trees we set out the water filled vases and begin sorting and arranging the flowers. None of us are trained in flower arranging and we have the rule that anyone can change an arrangement and we all contribute freely to each bouquet. I think of our efforts as free form summer bouquets. We deliver 6 small bouquets for the clients’ bedside tables at Hind’s Hospice.
The next 12 small bouquets are taken to the Evangel Home, where I place a bouquet on each dining table and set out 6 for the clients to select from for their rooms. We place one small bouquet in the nearby garden house bathroom. Of the large bouquets, one is placed on the porch for the family whose property the garden is on. The last 5 large bouquets are delivered to Marjaree Mason Center. As we deliver the fresh bouquets, we collect empty used vases and later wash them and either bring them for use the following Tuesday or return them to the storage closet in the garden house.
What joy I find in this activity. Even if no one expressed appreciation, which they do regularly, I would love being in the garden each week. The win-win concept works and I appreciate my time with “the garden girls.” When the flowers are plentiful we sometimes make extra bouquets for others or ourselves. An additional pleasure for me is the five hens who run freely as we gather the flowers. I enjoy the soft cluck-cluck sounds the hens make as they search for bugs. Also there’s an old big dog named Jake. I have a box of dog biscuits in my trunk for him and sometimes I scatter cracked corn for the hens.
I hope you can feel how much joy I find in this service. I’ve learned that giving doesn’t have to be draining or difficult.