July 7 – “Motivation”

I need some new motivation.  After I mowed the yard this morning I decided to pull weeds in the flower beds.  They aren't looking too bad right now, so I want to stay on top of them if I can.  Sadly, the pecan tree doesn't look good at all.  The new green growth that saved it from the wrath of the FEMA tree destroyers is beginning to turn brown and drop off.  It feels like Fall in our back yard.   But back to the motivation problem.  As I was on my hands and knees pulling weeds, I got to talking with Fritz.  He is one of our two dogs.  Heidi, the dachshund, had dug a hole under the stairs and was taking a nap in it.  Mom was inside taking a nap.  But Fritz is loyal if nothing else, so he was hanging around with me.  After one particularly stubborn weed, I said to Fritz, "Fritz.  You know why I'm doing this, don't you?"  Apparently he had no clue.  Didn't seem to really care that much either.  He just stared at me with a stick in his mouth.  And that's when it hit me.  I was about to tell my dog that the reason I was working in the yard was so Chris would be excited when she saw it.  But I have no idea when she'll get home to see it.  In fact I'll probably have to crawl around out there a few more times before she sees it in person.    With that thought my motivation level sank to somewhere below zero.  I sat down on the wet grass (It had rained a bit earlier), and said – to myself this time – if Chris is why I'm doing this, then why bother right now.  I can always wait until the day before she comes home and do it then.  The result will probably look the same.    Why indeed.  I pondered the thought as I finished up the little bit left in the back flower bed.  This was Chris' domain.  Don't get me wrong.  Flowers are fine.  It's just that working in the yard was always something I did with Chris right there.  It was fun because we were together.  The finished product made Chris happy.  Chris being happy made me happy.  I need a new source of motivation.  At least for working in the yard.  Hmmm.   Psalms 98:4-9 says, "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; 5 make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, 6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn — shout for joy before the Lord, the King.  7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.  8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the Lord"   OK, Father.  You made it all for the purpose of praising you in joy.  Maybe when I work in the yard I'm helping the creation become beautiful so that it can be joyful and praise you in its own way.  Amen.