Day 14--Pushing on...lessons from a gutsy vine

"Now the LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant." -Jonah 4:6

The marching pumpkin vine in the morning fog
 (you can see Rose's pumpkin in the distance).

I felt silly writing about this pumpkin vine again until I remembered that Jonah the prophet valued a vine too. He was even "exceedingly glad" about it, so that leaves me in solid company.

I'm thankful for vines that persist and overcome obstacles because they give me a picture of how to overcome things in my own life--quietly, politely, but persistently.  

This humble pumpkin vine emerged from the compost heap,then out-climbed dozens of others, to triumph on the fencetop and produce Rose's gorgeous pet pumpkin.

Even then, he's still going, inch-by-inch, bloom-by-bloom, across the fence top.  Despite infestations from squash beetles, leaf after leaf covered by their fuzzy yellow voracious larvae, he soldiers on.      

Squash beetle larvae--prolifically destructive 

Yesterday morning brought an ant expedition trailing across a bloom.  To me, it's as amazing to watch the intricate world of ants as it is to think about ice rings on Saturn. Clearly they have their own marching orders and are busy all the time. Their world has its own rhythms and purposes, triumphs and frustrations.

Though, I'm never one to get ahead of myself, I'm still childishly enthusiastic about this particular bloom.  Like Rose, I have a feeling.... This morning the fruit seems larger yet again....a second pumpkin?  And, the ants seem hopeful--they are still wildly busy climbing in and out of that foolishly beautiful cap.  The faint striping on the fruit is promising... 

Only time will tell.  One bloom at a time.

So,  like this tenacious vine, I choose to hopeful in the garden and in larger life.  The old Southern saying holds true enough, "I can't complain and if I could it wouldn't do me any good anyway." 

The seamless rhythms of nature and life continue on.  The ants are busy.  The vine pushes forward.  There is stuff (as David would say) to be done.  For today, I choose to company with Robert Browning's optimistic Pippa:

The year’s at the spring,
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill-side’s dew-pearled;

The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in His heaven—
All’s right with the world!

-"Pippa Passes," Robert Browning