WHAT MORONIC THING DID I DO NOW?

WINSDAY WSIDOM 222

I can hear the voice of my guardian angel as he drops his head and wings in disbelief, crying out, “What did you do now?”

These are the Dog Days of Summer, the hottest, most uncomfortable part of the year. I am spending those sultry days at home, not on the beach.

I grew up eating from my grandmother’s garden, tended by my dad and her. Dad created his own garden from which I enjoyed many fine vegetable dishes. Vicki and I have had a few garden years, but mostly limited now to her annual tomato plants.

This is her project. Her care. Her enjoyment. My contribution is occasional watering. I do not mess with the tomato plants, and I rarely eat from it.

My son, who was visiting for a few days, was watering the flowers and plants on the back patio. I cautioned him to be careful around his mother’s tomato plants, her summertime project.

Later that evening, I stepped outside with the dog. I noticed one of the heavily inhabited branches was almost dragging on the ground.

I slowly raised the tomato branch to check its height as to what size stake it needed for additional support. I was careful. I was gentle. I was helpful.

Suddenly there was a loud crack. The entire branch snapped completely away from its main stalk. I was standing there holding the best part of the tomato plant.

This section had five unripened tomatoes and several more blossoms. What do I do now? I destroyed my wife’s precious tomato project.

Confession is not the first thing that came to my mind. I tried to graft it with no success. It only produced a few more cracking sounds.

I immediately pushed the stalk back into the soil. It will still look good for another few hours. Then it will look dead and raise several suspicious questions.

I Googled for information about broken tomato plants. The internet news was not good. Essentially, the damage is done. Irreversible. Unreplaceable.

Maybe I could just trash it. Out of sight, out of mind. Wow! What happened? Those green tomatoes just disappeared.

Blaming my son was another option, but he needed grace as much as I did. The dog would have gained the quickest forgiveness. She would not even have to answer, “Why?” or “What did you do now?”

OK, I will just tell the truth. That is what I taught my kids.

“Vicki, there was an extremely strong wind last night. This tomato-laden branch got knocked off. I am so sorry for your loss. Things like this just happen sometimes.”

Well, maybe that was not the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I needed to come clean. I decided to share the bad news.

However, why did it have to be an emergency news flash that interrupted the local programming? My wife was having a good evening. She was happy, carefree. I decided to wait until later.

As my wife prepared for bedtime, I became convinced this was most definitely not the time for confession. I decided to send her a text after she was asleep. Afterall, “Tomorrow is just a day away.”

That would start her day off on the wrong foot, down five tomatoes. But if I waited until morning, she would check on her tomato plant before I ever got out of bed. That would arouse all the suspects.

I decided to tell her while she was sleeping. Maybe she will think it was a dream foretelling the reality awaiting her discovery. When questioned the next morning, I could remind her that I told her about it last night.

I asked God for wisdom. I prayed for a miracle of tomato growth. That is when my guardian angel bowed his head and wings. This was not an act of angelic worship. It must have been a plea for another assignment.

How are you doing during these Dog Days of Summer?

You know what they feel like…hot, humid, miserable days. It can feel like a sauna outside.

Did you know that “dog days” refer to Sirius, which means “scorching” in Latin. It is a reference to the brightest star representing one of Orion’s hunting dogs in the Canis Major, the “Big Dog Star” constellation. So, throughout time, the brightest star got blamed for the sun’s intolerable heatwave.

So much for stargazing. Officially, the Dog Days of Summer are consigned to the forty days between July 3 to August 11. In ancient times, the Dog Days were thought to represent drought, heat, and bad luck that drove men to act like mad dogs.

There you have it. That is my explanation for the broken tomato plant. I was overcome by the extreme sweltering heat of the Dog Days of Summer. I was out of my mind. The Dog Star made me do it.

What does that have to do with Winsday Wisdom?

Stay cool, my friend, and hydrate. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

Water should be like your union with Christ. Jesus Christ in you and you in Christ. Keep some water coming in you and get in some water for fun and relaxation.

Use the summertime to soak up the wonder of some beautiful sites God created. From the beaches to the mountains to the comforts of home, see the glory of God’s goodness.

And look ahead to the endless days of continuous comfort promised you “when we will never hunger or thirst again; neither will the sun beat down on us with scorching heat. Never again…We will drink the refreshing springs from the Water of Life. There will be NO TEARS. Never again!” (Revelation 7:16-17).

Throw your worries and fears (and broken tomato plants) into the ocean or lake or occasional summer rain. “The world is God’s Throne. The mighty oceans thunder God’s praise. The endless waves preach of the glory of His endless goodness” (Psalms 93:1-5).

“Then the Lord showed me a basket of fresh, ripe summer fruit” (Amos 8:1). Be grateful for the garden produce that makes its way to your palate during these Dog Days.

Enjoy some fresh tomatoes this summer. Count your blessings.

Love First and Love Most. That is a great pastime for the Dog Days of Summer. That will lift up the head and gain some wings for some guardian angel.

And should you need an excuse for a mishap, it was the Dog Star’s fault. It can cause you to lose your mind for a second. Hopefully, only a second!

Who let the dogs out?
(Who, who, who, who)…(Baha Men)