Mother's Day

As her mother's day wish, Missy wanted us to do some work getting our yard, particularly the front flower beds, in ship-shape. It was wonderful. Everyone pitched in to some extent. One thing all the kids helped with was to dig the deep holes for the two rose bushes in front of the garage windows. Here are some pictures since I realize you probably want to see them. We added the roses and the yellow flower in the middle to the area by the garage and Missy planted a ton of small plants in the center, island spot, along with a couple larger purple flowers.







It really was a great time and I think we all enjoyed it. At one point, I had finished the holes for the rose bushes and came over to the island to see what Missy needed me to do next. I was a little snippy that she had just shoveled dirt out onto the cement around the island instead of taking care of it as she dug (like I had). A little later, after I had apologized and we were back to working contentedly,

Missy: I notice you've been taking all that dirt to the back yard. I'm curious- where are you putting it?

Dave: Well, I put one load over on the south end by the bush the rest all in the flat empty space at the other end of the yard.

Missy: Oh.... You mean the spot I pulled all the weeds out of, planted seeds in, and have been watering for weeks?

Awkward pause...

Dave: That's the place.

Missy: So I guess we've both been a little disappointed. Are we even?

Dave: No, I think you've got me beat.

:)

As we started I realized we didn't have a wheelbarrow to cart away all the red Oklahoma dirt-clay we'd be pulling out. We didn't even have an empty bucket. So the best I could do was the container we had all the little yard things in.



Unfortunately, it was big enough that if I filled it up I could barely move it. Tricky. As I scanned the back yard looking for a place to dump the soil, my eyes fell upon this remarkable product of American industry. OK, probably not made in the US, but thought up here?



You may be shaking your head, but it could hardly have worked better. I just sat the container on top of the cart and balanced things as I pushed it along. I was surprised but it held up without a hitch. Kind of puts into perspective how much punishment toddler toys are intended to take.

As I shuttled dirt back and forth I thought about how sometimes we don't feel up to what we have to do, especially in callings. It's as if the Lord were looking for a wheelbarrow and his eyes falls on us, the little shopping cart. We protest- "I'm not up to this!" But he smiles and says "You'll do just fine." We may not think we can pull the load required. But we can. He knows it before he places the load there.

When we were kids, our parents had us memorize some poems including this one (which was my favorite because it involved swords):

This I beheld, or dreamed it in a dream:
There spread a cloud of dust along a plain;
And underneath the cloud, or in it, raged
A furious battle, and men yelled, and swords
Shocked upon swords and shields. A prince's banner
Wavered, then staggered backward, hemmed by foes.
A craven hung along the battle's edge,
And thought, "Had I a sword of keener steel
That blue blade that the king's son bears, but this
Blunt thing!" he snapped and flung it from his hand,
And lowering crept away and left the field.
Then came the king's son, wounded, sore bestead,
And weaponless, and saw the broken sword,
Hilt-buried in the dry and trodden sand,
And ran and snatched it, and with battle shout
Lifted afresh he hewed his enemy down,
And saved a great cause that heroic day.

- Edward Rowland Sill

It's sad that we often think of ourselves as the useless, blunt instrument, ill-equipped to accomplish anything. But the King's Son knows better.

Sorry if I got too philosophical. Manual labor leaves my mind free to contemplate things like that.