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July 25, 2008

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Weeds threatened to overtake my garden center, a one-woman operation I'd started with a unique business approach. Customers set their own prices, and I accepted plant starts or seeds in lieu of cash. It made me feel good when people took home the plants they really wanted, plus I got a wider variety to offer my customers. At one point, though, so many people had brought in plants to trade, I couldn't get them in the ground fast enough, much less get around to weeding.
     One morning I started early, up to my knees in work. "God," I said, "if you want to bless me right now, send an angel to help me weed." As soon as I said it, I had to laugh. What was I expecting, an angel with a hoe?
     Still chuckling, I cleared a space for some of the new plants. Minutes into my work, a brand-new customer came in. "Can you help me?" she asked. We picked out some pot marigolds and a few herbs, but when I reached for some edible flowers she said, "That's enough, I'm on a tight budget."
     "Not here," I said, then explained how I do business.
     "I don't have anything to exchange," she said. "But I know what I can do. I can help you weed."
     "You're a godsend!" I exclaimed. "I'm Barbara." I wiped the soil off my hand and extended it to my new helper.
     "Pleased to meet you," she replied, taking my hand in hers. "I'm Angel."

By Barbara Coffey
Whitefield, Oklahoma

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