Hot Lips Salvia
Hot Lips is one of my favorite perennials. The tall slender deep green stems produce little red blossoms that turn white. It is a staple in my garden and is certain to return each year.
But today it looked a little different. As I got closer, I realized that Hot Lips had grass growing up the middle of it. As I got closer, I could see a vine had attached to some of the branches. It was time for some pruning to set the plant free.
I dug deep into the center of the plant, but realized that in order to save it, I would need to trim back most of it. As I was working at the task, I begin to think that this plant was just like my marriage at the time. We were so deep into the weeds of despair, that I wondered if it could be restored.
I loved him deeply and was excited to be married after a 3 year courtship. But things went sour within the first few years. We had many losses that were challenging to overcome. Several deaths, job changes, moves. They all impacted him. It was hard to understand what God was doing in us, but I was taught at a young age to trust God, even if you don't understand.
Crying myself to sleep most nights, I lost who I was as I navigated survival mode. I was devoted to God and to my vows before God, so I stayed. Until I couldn't. Traditional efforts to pull us out of the weeds was not working. Saving this marraige was going to require some radical steps that were so scary.
You can read more of my story in Secrets of the Soil, Trusting God Through the Trauma of a Rocky Marriage. https://a.co/d/08DYFnvv
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