June Has Come

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Spring has gone, and summer opens before us. The fragrant blossoms, beautifying the boughs of the apple, peach, and cherry, no longer delight the eye, and their sweet fragrance is not borne to us on the breeze. These useful trees, although they now make no display, are not resting from their labor. They are preparing to adorn their branches with a rich harvest of fruit by and by, to reward our care and patience.

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Our flower gardens are now repaying us for the attention and labor we have bestowed upon them. The flowering shrubs that live through winter, are many of them pleasing the eye by putting out their buds and blossoms. The seeds we have carefully put into the earth are making their appearance, while others are thirsting for the gentle showers to awaken them to life. All the beautiful in nature seems to be upon a strife to see which can vie with the other in contributing to our pleasure and happiness, by their buds and blossoms of every hue.

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The merry birds are doing their part to cheer us with their varied voices. Many of these happy songsters are busy with domestic matters, yet have not become unhappy and gloomy while engaged in bearing their burdens of life, fulfilling the mission God has given them. We are often charmed with the free music from these merry songsters, which does not fail to awaken joy and gladness in our hearts, and instinctively carry our minds up to God with grateful thanks for his beautiful gifts.

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Everything in nature is diligent, and moving steadily onward, setting us an example. Notwithstanding the plants and shrubs are thirsting for showers, yet they cannot stop to complain, and cease their efforts to flourish. They obey nature’s laws, to do the very best they can under every circumstance. They thirst to be refreshed with water, yet they strike their roots down deeper, reaching down far to gather the moisture, that they may retain life, freshness, and beauty.

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These things of nature teach us the useful lesson, not to be easily discouraged under disadvantageous circumstances, but to continue to put forth efforts, and to do the very best we can. Although vegetation is almost fainting for the summer showers, yet the good things of the vegetable kingdom do not decide to stand still, and do nothing, until everything is favorable. There is a power in nature which we can see, if we will, in vegetation. The shrubs and plants struggle to live under discouraging circumstances, and seem to be making the best of everything, and concealing every appearance of want and unhappiness, under a smiling, refreshing aspect, reflecting to us the beautiful in their opening buds and blossoms. If we would learn the lessons nature is teaching us we should be more hopeful and have less wearing anxiety and crushing care.

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In the lessons the divine Teacher gave to those who listened to his discourses, he frequently chose a place beautified with flowers, or surrounded with nature’s varied scenery, such as, fields, well-cultivated, flourishing gardens, and corn fields, rich verdure, and fruitful trees, green hedges, orange, olive, pomegranate and fig trees, adorning the hills, while in contrast to this flourishing and beautiful scenery, would appear the white rocks and barren soil, while the birds of the air, with their varied music, charmed the ear as they were sporting in the air, or flitting from tree to flower. The majesty of Heaven uses these natural similitudes in representing the word sown in the human heart. He binds up his precious truths with the illustrations of nature that as his hearers shall ever after look upon the objects he has connected with his lessons, the heart will be impressed with the great truths he taught them. He anticipated the fears and anxiety of the listening multitude, and his calm and impressive voice is heard to encourage the flagging faith, and quiet the aroused, distrustful, murmuring fears of his disciples.

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Why take ye thought? Why be fearful and troubled about food or your raiment, or your life? Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin; yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

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God designs we should draw lessons from nature, and make a practical application of these lessons to our own lives. Although we may suffer under disappointments, reverses, and affliction, yet we cannot afford to fret, and walk under a cloud, and cast a shadow upon all with whom we associate. Invalids may imitate nature. They need not be like a withered, decaying branch. Let vegetation, that is clothed in cheerful green, cheer and comfort you, and suggest to you the happiness that you may reflect upon others, by presenting before them the aspect of freshness and cheerfulness, instead of complaints, sighs, and groans, and apparent languor in every step, and an appearance of inability in every move.

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Live, dear invalid friends, while you do live, and train yourselves to shed fragrance like the fresh flowers. If you are burdened and weary, you need not curl up like leaves upon a withered branch. Cheerfulness and a clear conscience are better than drugs, and will be an effective agent in your restoration to health. In order for you to be cheerful, you should have exercise. You should have something useful to do. Invalid sisters should have something to call them out of doors, to work in the ground. This was the employment given by God to our first parents. God knew that employment was necessary to happiness. You should have a spot of ground to claim as yours, to tend and cultivate. You may have a pride in keeping out every weed, and may watch with interest the beautiful development of every leaf and opening bud and flower, and be charmed with the miracles of God seen in nature. As you view the shrubs and flowers, remember God loves the beautiful in nature. As you watch the harmonious colors of the various beautiful-tinted flowers of June, bear in mind that God loves the beautiful in human nature formed in his image. A pure, harmonious character, a sunny temper, reflecting light and cheerfulness, glorifies God, and benefits humanity. Inspiration tells us that a meek and quiet spirit in the sight of God is of great price.

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As you cultivate your vegetables and flowers, and remove the weeds and prune from them the lifeless branches, bear in mind this is the work God is doing for you if he loves you. As you remove everything unsightly, and injurious to your plants, that nothing but the beautiful may appear, remember that just so God is doing with your human garden. He would discipline you, and would root out all the weeds, and all corruption and vileness, that you may possess a symmetrical character, and be free from evil habits, that you may not become sour, distrustful, and gloomy.

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God wants you, dear invalid friends, to be cheerful, and cherish a meek and quiet spirit. You may meet your friends with cheerfulness and true courteousness, and you may throw a ray of sunshine into their path; and will you be the worse for so doing? Oh, no! You will have every ray of light you shed, reflected back upon you again. You will be benefited with the effort you make to be cheerful. It will be for your benefit, my invalid friends, to do all that you can to forget your sufferings. Get out of doors as much as possible, and be benefited with the breezes and the blessed sunshine. Let the songs of the birds, and the beauties of nature, awaken holy and grateful feelings in your hearts, and lead you to adore your Creator who has anticipated your wants, and surrounded you with unnumbered tokens of his love and constant care.

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I wish to encourage my invalid friends to exercise; for this is necessary for the recovery of their health. Even those who attend a Water Cure should, many of them, exercise more out of doors. They would improve much faster. To be listless and indolent, will injure you. You want something to interest and engage the mind, and divert it from yourselves, and from your ailments. If invalids who can, would engage in light, useful labor in the open air a portion of each day, they would find physical exercise one of God’s appointed agents for the benefit of man.

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Much of our suffering is unreal. We imagine trouble, and we gather clouds of darkness about us. We suffer as surely from imaginary troubles as though they were real. Physical exercise is the best remedy for this dreaded disease; for it occupies the mind and strengthens it to more healthful action, and employs the idle hands, and imparts strength and vigor to the muscles.

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Dear invalid friends, have an aim in life while you do live. Gather sunshine about you instead of clouds. Seek to be a fresh, beautiful flower in God’s garden, imparting fragrance to all around you. Do this, and you will not die a whit sooner; but you will surely shorten your days by unhappy complainings, making your pains and ailments the theme of conversation.

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If you set any value upon your life, be cheerful, and subdue a querulous, whining, complaining spirit. Prune off every decaying leaf and withered branch, from your life, and manifest only freshness and vigor. You will be repaid tenfold in this life by cherishing a courteous spirit, being kind and respectful to all, even if it cost you an effort. Let the lessons of God’s beautiful flowers soften, refine, and elevate your natures, and attract your hearts from the loveliness of nature to nature’s God, and increase your love and reverence for your Creator. E. G. W. —