Weeds, Laundry, and Prayer

 

While I considered having Cory do a long post on the irrigation project it is still on going so he's very busy so that will come later.

I'm writing this on a Saturday afternoon. So after getting up, breakfast, and my devotions I worked on the school schedule for next week. 

Once I get it worked out Cory joins me to double check and pray over the next week's lessons before we print out the copies for myself and Fritz.

Then I did the dishes so they could be drying on the rack before heading out to weed the nursery trees in bags. I could hear the children who attended this week's children's conference getting ready to leave for home as the different trucks and vans came to transport them back.

I prayed not just for their safe travels but that all the truths that they learned this week will find good soil, grow, mature, and bring forth a strong faith that grows throughout their lives. I pray they will change the world wherever the Lord sends them and advance His Kingdom. That they will be able to fight the good fight and avoid temptations and distractions. Lord bless each one of them.

Can you see the dragon fruit?

Knowing that the water would be more available I washed 3 more of the guest linens. Generally Cory does our wash during the week and Fritz does his owe. Hand washing like weeding gives one time to think and pray. 

Seeing the dirty water even though there were no visible stains or odor reminds me of how our lives can look good on the outside while things can be dirty and messy in our minds, emotions and hidden parts of life. Lord bring those hidden things into Your healing, cleansing, purifying light! Bring things to light in our supporting churches, in organizations, families, as well as in my life and the lives of family and friends. Help us know how to change and deal with each issue according to Your will. Grant wisdom and courage to confront those needed changes and challenges so that no further harm is done. 

After I hung those on the fence and refilled the water buckets I returned to weeding. 

The transplanted aloes by the house look so-so with some thriving and others struggling. Isn't that like us as well...some deal with change very well and with enthusiasm while others mourn, loose parts of themself and just look horrible making folks wonder if they will be able to recover or not. Thankfully for us the Lord is present and active. He's strong enough to support us no matter what happens or doesn't. I found myself praying for those in transition times: graduations, pregnancy, natural disasters, man-made conflicts, new relationships, change of jobs, health issues...and more.

Next I moved on to the dragon fruit plants. Now this one takes some planning as the weeds are high and it's a bit out of the way. I grab a machete to attack big weeds and push them out of my way when walking because I don't want to step on any critters. I remembered my bucket to sit on but needed to return to the house for my leather gloves. 

As I cleaned around the prickly plants my thoughts again turned to life. How easily and rapidly fears, pride, sin, LIES can crowd out and distract from the good things in life: the Lord, peace, hope, truth, joy and gratitude. Like the dragon fruit branches underneath the weeds they remain- often unseen, not growing, not appreciated. Lord help us to regularly put up and deal with the negative patterns and habits in our lives that are negatively impacting our maturity, growth, impact, and interactions with those around us. 

On the last one I didn't complete weeding around because a bee found me [was fairly close to the been hive at that point and it also happened the last time I weeded that plant] and I know better than to ignore them. 

These African honey bees are very tenacious! So I retreated into the house. I plan to go back and finish this afternoon. [Time will tell because last time I didn't return to finish weeding making more work this time around. One of the students was stung today while slashing weeds for Cory] [Update I did finish!]  

Lord, I, we need wisdom to know when to change plans, to delay a plan and return later or to stay the course even when things get hard or dangerous. Give us the wisdom to know what plan of action is best or if we should wait. Thank You for being there for us in each and every situation.

I think my morning was much more philosophical because I did not listen to music or an audio book. No one was talking to me.

 I think we've lost mostly this type of thinking time because of the 'noise' in our lives. I think that in the past and still in cultures where jobs like shelling peas, weeding, sewing by hand, plowing by walking behind a ox or chopping wood with an ax are done over and over allow one to think deeply and pray while only part of the mind pays attention to the task at hand.

In my world where technology either removed the need for such tasks, significantly changed how or how fast they are done one needs to be intentional to find repetitional jobs where thinking can be done at the same time. In addition to carefully choosing labor that allows thinking and processing of ideas one needs to reject the temptation to talk, sing, listen to a podcast or book in order to provide the quietness needed to stimulate the brain.

May you find some quiet thinking time in your day and week. Courage!