faith – Mariel's Garden

Dearest Mommy,

I should have written this a few days ago, but your beloved Tatacoco got sick, so I only had the chance to write again tonight.

Your passing feels like yesterday, yet it has been eighteen years since I last saw your radiant smile, heard your laughter, or felt the reassuring warmth of your hand in mine. I visit “Mariel’s Garden” because it beautifully echoes the essence of who you were. And I want to tell you how much you are still, and always will be, a part of everything in my life.

To me, a garden with its vibrant life and its beautiful flowers is the perfect reflection of who you are. For you always saw beauty in the promise of every tiny seed, and the importance of tending to it with love. You had cultivated not just flowers, but joy, kindness, and understanding in everyone you had ever met. For your inner beauty truly blossomed, Mariel, making you the most lovely person I have ever known, inside and out.

I remember, too, how you could make even the simplest moments feel profound. Our walk in the park became an adventure, our quiet evening at home a sanctuary. You had this incredible way of illuminating the world around you, making colors brighter, music sweeter, and love deeper. You taught me so much without ever needing to say a word – just by being you.

Life without you, however, is a landscape forever changed. There are many days that colors feel muted, and the silence too loud. But then, I feel you in the warmth of the morning sun on my face, a gentle reminder of your bright spirit. I hear you in the rustling of leaves, a whisper of your calming presence. I see you in every flower that pushes its way through the ground, a testament to the resilient and beautiful life you once lived. You had planted so many seeds of love and happiness in my heart, and people who knew you, and they continue to grow, and give comfort and strength to us.

You were my truest love, my greatest supporter. You saw me, truly saw me, and loved me unconditionally. That kind of love is a rare and precious thing, and I will carry it with me every single day. For it has shaped who I am, and it will always guide me forward.

Thank you, my love, for every moment, every memory, every lesson, and every ounce of your boundless love. Thank you for making my world a more beautiful place, a garden I can still walk through in my memories, forever in bloom because of you. Thank you for being the most beautiful person, for me and your daughter, Sam. You are our forever garden, eternally blooming in our hearts.

With all my love, always,

Bong

I just received an email from my friend Mana ( Happy Birthday, Mana, its her birthday by the way). I found the article by Sally Kennedy thats been helpful and also very appropriate for Mariel’s Garden. Here goes:

“COMING BACK
By Sally I Kennedy

Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,
rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were
taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7
Coming Back
The plant that “would grow anywhere” looked dead as a doornail. The
flowers behind it weren’t looking so good either. Limp and fading,
they appeared to be on their last leg, too. Ironically, the
surrounding weeds were thriving, growing great.
Fading, limp, wilting, or a goner. Have you ever felt this way, in
your spirit, body, or emotions? I’ve been there, and I have learned
the truth of the principle of being rooted in Christ.
This plant was sprayed with an insecticide, but the large dose burned
it. For us, circumstances, relationships, job situations, can batter,
or burn, us pretty good sometimes. That’s life.
On the surface, what is visible, is what I call “in the night”. Things
seem dim, cloudy, even dark. But God is not a God of confusion. No
matter what is going on, He is still sovereign, still watching over
you, and involved in every facet of your life, working all things out
for your good.

On either side of this burned-out plant are two sturdy, older bushes,
and the roots of the plant have grown deep down into the soil below.
This plant will come back. It will have fuzzy green leaves again. It
will have bold sunny yellow flowers.
Stay rooted and grounded in Christ. In Ephesians 3, Paul says, “May
your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.”

Persevere, no matter what. Hold on to the hem of Jesus’ robe, to His
mighty and powerful name. We will not only be survivors, but we will
flourish.
That is good news.”

Thanks again Mana

Mariel's Garden

Tag: faith

A Landscape Forever Changed

Coming Back by Sally Kennedy