Gardening Gloves and Crocs

Friday Fun is what I call Fridays. Typically, I am finished with my contract work and enjoy doing something fun on Friday. What do I call fun? Not the usual day of entertainment or leisure, but a day of beginning or ending a special project. There should be a crown that sits upon my head on Friday because I am the "project queen". I love projects and look forward to some extra hours working on refinishing furniture, reupholstering an old chair...the $5 type, painting...walls or some wonderful Canton find, quilting, or creating a one of a kind object d'art.

I had been looking forward to this Friday for several weeks. I had not had a Friday Fun day in a while so last night as I crawled into bed, I made a list of things that I would like to do. This morning as I enjoyed my coffee, I realized what a beautiful day was ahead. Many things on my list could be done outside so I planned my day accordingly. Before the "good to the last drop" was just a memory, so was my list...just a memory.

I was compelled to put on my yard work clothes and venture to the flowerbeds out front to do a little spring cleaning. The daffodils are blooming...



...and various perennial plants are showing signs of life. I put on my gardening gloves and crocs, drug out the pruning shears, rake, and spade...ready to cause some major damage repair to the ravages left by winter, if that is what you call December to February in Texas.

I trimmed lantana, yanked out overgrown monkey grass, and cleaned out dry, crackling leaves from flowerbeds. Then I raked and raked and raked some more. I think the leaves were multiplying with each stroke of the rake. It was while I was raking those leaves that I realized why I was so compelled to work in the yard on a Friday Fun day. God wanted to show me something.

Recently there have been many questions raised about kids today from family members and friends alike. Mostly about grown (still maturing) children. They have so much to learn. I would never want to return to my 20's. What am I saying? I would return, if I could take with me the knowledge and experience I have now.

Working in the yard is good therapy! I had lots to think through and lots of talking to God to do. I needed some answers...a word...a picture...something I could hold on to...and I got it.

It was while raking leaves that I watched the wind work with me and against me. I was raking and trying to keep a handle on the wayward leaves. That is when I looked across the yard to see leaves swirling in every direction...being guided by the wind to and fro...sometimes coming toward me and all of a sudden changing direction. As the wind would die down, the leaves would find a place to land on the still brown grass.

Young adult children (yes, they are always our children) can be just like those leaves. They are being tossed to and fro, swirling around, trying to find a place to land. As parents, we try our best to do our part when our children are under our roof...to give guidance, to be a good example, to give boundaries and set limits, to teach, to discipline...but the wind blows and it will blow!

We must watch (and it is not Friday Fun) as they swirl around, giving guidance when asked, standing firm in our values, and praying, praying, (letting them know you are) praying that the landing is on target.

Here it is...a word...a picture...something to hold on to.... It is in the swirling, that our children (and so do we) gain knowledge and experience.

Are you ready...will you be ready...when the wind blows and the swirling begins?

If the shoe fits, wear it well!