Goodbye Grumpy Gardener

When starting something new, it is good to hope for great things. But it may become a problem if we allow ourselves to have very specific and over-the-top expectations. While living in Wyoming, Jim worked for a contractor. In short, this means that he was out of town for work a lot. Most of the first three years of our lives together he was gone at least four days a week. Jim often says, and I concur, that contract work "is a single man's job." Many couples face limited time together, in many trades: contract, military, trucking, etc. Some it strengthens, some it breaks, but its hard on them all.

When we decided to start a family we began eagerly awaiting a time when we could go to a company that worked locally only, and Jim could see his family every day. It took a while, longer then we expected. First waiting for him to complete his apprenticeship, then waiting on a company to accept his application. And in that time we dreamed and planned for 'what it was going to be like, there, where the grass is greener.' Then we moved here, to the beautiful state of Tennessee, and a local company. Our "grass is greener" scenario came true! But wait a minute... "I thought there wasn't going to be much overtime."... dandelion. "I thought you were going to be home like clockwork every day at the same time."... crab grass. "I thought everything was going to be easier."... ivy. "I thought", I thought", "I thought" ... thistle! "I thought we were moving to the magical land of unicorns and leprechauns and all our dreams were going to come true!" ... ok, not quite. But, you get my point.

A beautiful lawn requires something of us; our effort, thought, time, attention. It doesn't just happen. It also requires a realistic viewpoint. If you go out expecting perfection, all you will notice are flaws. 

I was focused on every shortcoming of my "utopian" fantasy. I had not completely lost sight of my blessings, but I certainly had been overlooking a lot of them. And instead of realizing I needed to adjust what I was doing, I just waited around for the weeds to pull themselves. "I shouldn't have to pull them because they weren't supposed to be here." Ha! The only true flaw was my own selfish attitude and unrealistic point of view. Every lawn will get weeds, but that doesn't mean it can't be green and beautiful. If your lawn is full of weeds, maybe you should begin by pruning your attitude. (Thank you for bearing with my lawn analogy.)

Jim has worked a lot of overtime since we have been here. Far more than we ever imagined. But all for a purpose. If he hadn't, we wouldn't be in the process of buying a house. Wouldn't have the ability to move to a better area. Wouldn't have made such a dent in our debt. And I'm sure there are many more reasons than those I know about right now. And Jim is home so much more than he used to be. I pray I never lose sight of that again, and that I always remember to be thankful for that gift. 

I have a clearer view of our lives now. It truly is beautiful here. I love all the trees and rolling hills. Jim has a steady job, with great job security. In this economy that is better than gold. We have a wonderful marriage. We have two amazing, healthy children that bring us so much joy every day. We have everything we need and then some. We are blessed with a wonderful and loving extended family. We are part of an amazing church family. Jim and I are both able to be in the vocations we love. And there are so many, many more. If I had listed them all I would have written a book no one would really care to read. 

A blessed life indeed!

Life on Earth will never be perfect. But when we approach it with a thankful heart, remembering our many blessings, we can enjoy "the good life" every day.

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18