last evening, rosie and i went out in the backyard to put some carrots out for our little bunny that visits our yard everyday (it is wayyyyyy easier than an actual pet). that bunny is going through a bag of carrots every few days, no wonder he keeps visiting our yard.
anywho, while i was out there i started to pull a few weeds here and there. and ended up pulling weeds for about 30 minutes and not moving my feet very much at all (meaning that i could weed for hours in one spot, move 2 feet over and weed for hours in that spot and so on and so forth). my back still hurts this morning (but since someone (DEBBIE) complained about having to read about my rear end talking, i won’t tell you all what my back has to say this morning...
(special insert here for “teaching children to work” and “really?!?!?!? you blogged about your behind hurting?” debbie pittman... i know my children SHOULD have been doing this yard work, but they were inside folding laundry and making lunches).
back to my burst of yard work, whilst i was weeding i was thinking (shocking isn’t it?) about how i really don’t like doing yard work because... well, it has the word “work” in it AND because working in my yard is way too philosophically angst ridden for me. yes, i said “philosophically angst ridden” and i stand by those words, i stand by them and lean over and pull up weeds by those words...
it is philosophically angst ridden (yes, i typed them again) because my yard is exactly like my life...
from far away (like 3 houses down), things may look really good over here. if i slapped a couple of lovely photos of my yard up here, you would all go “ooh, ahh, that is so lovely”. even from my sliding glass door in the dining area, things look pretty darn good in that yard. but step out onto the patio and you begin to see some areas of unruly growth. step down into the yard and notice that the green you thought was grass, is actually a bit of grass and a whole lot of weeds. look at those beds of palms and notice they need a lot of trimming down and some weeding as well. and part of that border of border grass has died off and left a hole in the border. and are those ferns growing over in the cast iron plant bed? yup, all of that and so much more needs taking care of in my yard. and there are several old basketballs and various and sundry toys scattered around under the trampoline and back in the hidden corners that should be picked up and thrown away as well...
you can see the obvious parallels to my life (they are so obvious to me that it makes it philosophically angst ridden to work in the yard because i start thinking of all the areas where i need weeding and pruning and replanting and cleaning up and a good dose of super strength roundup and an enormous dumping of stinky fertilizer).
i used to think i was such a great Christian gal (especially compare to all those sinful people i knew, and i won’t mention anyone’s name here). in fact i wondered when Christianity Today magazine was going to come calling and write an article about my life and put a wonderful photo of me on the cover looking all HOT and pious (and i can do both looks at the same time, i kid you not).
then i started doing Bible studies and then i opened up my Bible and actually read it and then i started having serious quiet times and listening to God and now as i have started memorizing Scripture, i look around and all i see is WEEDS and AREAS THAT NEED PRUNING and TRASH under my trampoline (which i don’t even want to know what that metaphor means).
i think i am getting more sinful and selfish with each passing MOMENT, there i am even more selfish now than when i started this post....
but i am more aware of my sinfulness as i grow (and less inclined to climb under the trampoline to get those old toys). i think this summer would be a great time for the kids and i to spend some time every day in the yard. maybe i will learn a thing or two about reaping and sowing, maybe they will, maybe we will win “yard of the year” and be featured in southern living magazine and everyone will see how lovely my yard is and be totally jealous of me (oh, yeah, that really isn’t the goal here. see how much more sinful i am becoming. by the end of this post who knows what i will be doing...)
this is the problem with me not watching television. when i am not being entertained, my brain thinks way too much and i end up with metaphors about me and my yard (not to mention i am still stymied about what that trash under the trampoline represents in my psyche).
and then i came inside and was so exhausted by weeding and soul searching that i turned on the t.v.
just kidding.
i opened my Bible to finish up on my study for this week and lo and behold, i read these verses (in the message version)
2 timothy 2: 11-18
If we die with him, we'll live with him;
If we stick it out with him, we'll rule with him;
If we turn our backs on him, he'll turn his back on us;
If we give up on him, he does not give up—
for there's no way he can be false to himself.
Repeat these basic essentials over and over to God's people. Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won't be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they're not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul.
He won’t give up His work on me. i may never win “yard (or life) of the year” but there is in store for me a crown of righteousness, even though i will never deserve it. however i think i am going to look SO CUTE wearing it that all of heaven will be jealous (see i told you that i would be SO much more sinful by the end of this post)...
i bet you can’t wait to see how bad i am by tomorrow...