Our Garden...Oh My...

                                        To plant a garden 
              is to believe in tomorrow.
                               -Audrey Hepburn

We are gardeners, Bert and I. Not typical gardens mind you, but creative, soulful gardens. Bert's gardens are works of art. Plants lovingly tended to over time. Rustic Chinese temples scattered here and there. We nurture these plants and trees, feed them nutrients, and baby them to help them grow. Folks walk by our garden in the front of our home where we often sit on our bench and drink our coffee. Almost always they smile and comment. Seeing God's beauty lovingly cared for makes them feel joy, pure and simple.

So you can only imagine how in shock we are to have walked out by our side garden, just as we were about to treat ourselves to ice cream, and see our side garden ripped to shreds and seven of our trees cut down.

Yes, cut down.

Our neighbor is having some of her trees taken out and it appears that the individual doing the work took out our trees too, along  with the sprinkler system that waters our yard. It is broken into pieces.

I know that on the list of awful things that can happen that this might sound minor. Yet we are heartbroken, especially my beloved Bert.

They destroyed a garden he has spent three years putting together. While I have processed this out loud, Bert just looks so sad and is so quiet. He walks out there and looks again, shaking his head. His stomach was so upset he couldn't have ice cream. Since his stroke, his gardens have been where he has placed his love and creativity.
Could you please keep him in your prayers?

I left a letter for our neighbor with the babysitter next door.
I tried to ask, in a loving way, was this a mistake?

Praying for peace and understanding in this stressful moment.
Yet we are still knowing, no matter what, God is good all the time.

God Bless!
Love,
Linda

Update: 6/4 We spoke with our neighbors last night and they intended to do this. They assumed that the trees were theirs. We will now deal with property lines and damages. Not my favorite.  Praying for a peaceful resolution to this.