My Own Little Easter Celebration

I celebrated easter yesterday, but not in the way a person might expect. This event didn't require dressing up, preparing or eating food, or getting together with loved ones. I celebrated in grungy clothes, sunglasses and work gloves. I look forward to this, and if the weather cooperates, easter weekend seems the most meaningful time to do it.

Yesterday afternoon I spent a couple hours cleaning up the yard from the mess of winter. It has looked so dreary and lifeless for months. Layers of soggy leaves have clustered around the bare branches of everything that used to grow here. Dry, dead stems stuck up in the air like grave markers from the sedums, and the remains of last year's day lilies lay matted to the ground. The memory of last year's blooms and foliage is pretty dim in my mind, but, clinging to the promise of new life, I grabbed my trimmers and trash bag and got to work.

As I trimmed away last year's dead growth, the dreariness turned to hope as soon as I saw the little green shoots hiding under that gloomy cover of dead stuff. I marveled at the tiny green green plants that have pushed their way up to greet a new season of life.

I spend a lot of time praying when I do yard work, not fancy sounding prayers...just talking to God and thanking Him for where He is at work around me. I love the way there is no tv noise in the background, and no phones ringing to distract me. Seeing what He does in nature to bring new life in the spring truly amazes me. How he designed perennials to grow is a beautiful mystery that I can hardly get my little brain around. Magnifying that a million times, I still won't be able to comprehend the love He had for us to send Jesus to the cross and endure what He did. 

After my time in the yard yesterday, my back is stiff from bending and reaching, and my mind is overloaded with wonder at how death doesn't have to be the end. I'm headed to church this morning ready to celebrate another way. Hopefully without lingering bits of dirt under my fingernails, but a renewed sense of wonder and hope for new life.

A Sign of Our Times

The notice arrived in the mail. In this economy it's the news every employee dreads. We hear of layoffs and pray that our loved ones' jobs will be secure. We hope that the effects of the recession will not have dramatic effects on our lives. Unfortunately, a member of our family has received the dreaded pink slip, but it was the last one I would have expected.

Sam was layed-off from his job as a paperboy. It appears that our local paper is downsizing it's number of editions per week, and will be using other sources to deliver for their scaled-down operations.

He was understandably upset when he received this news. His paper route has been a good experience for him...a chance to learn responsibility and earn his own spending money. He's trying not to take it personally, but feels a bit like he's been fired.

It makes me sad to see more evidence of financial hard times affecting our little town. As one of my co-workers said, "It seems un-American not to have paper boys around anymore." Will I miss arranging my after school schedule and Saturday mornings to make sure Sam can get his route done? Not a bit. Will I miss having to fill in for him when he is sick or away at camp? Nope.

It's not like he paid for groceries with income from that paper route.  But it was nice for him to have a constructive daily activity that required fresh air, exercise and initiative, along with earning spending money of his own. In the future, I'm sure there will be lawns to mow and sidewalks to shovel to earn money and  practice saving and spending. 

I'm also sure he'll never forget his first big lesson on economics.