I'm smiling as I tap this out on the 'puter! Amazing as that may sound at 6:21 in the am, I'm happy. We are ahead of the snow out here on the Great American Desert for the first time in 7 years. It was predicted that we could get some today, so for the past two days I have been diligently about the task of removing as many leaves as possible before they get soaked and matted. The pictures depict the sight that awaits our garbage collector this morning. He will look at my stack much differently than I. We don't know one another, but I am so thankful for the job that he and the other members of his crew perform each week. Perhaps therein lies one of the keys to being at peace with the world. An attitude of gratitude!
Here I sit in my warmest robe in an office that will never reach 60 degrees today, with a runny nose and itchy eyes and a scratchy throat(no, I am not ill, it is the result of the past few days in the dust and dirt of fall)and I am happy. The job could have been done better had it not gotten so dark(I worked with floodlights until 10 or so), and if I had more bags to fill. The important part of this is knowing that I did the very best job I could with what I had to work with and I'm satisfied. My wife pointed out that there are still leaves which have refused to fall. Yes there are, but with all the ones that have left the yard they will probably be so lonely here that they will blow somewhere else. It did occur to me as I worked the lawn outback that life would could really be simplified if I could find some way to get inside myself and get rid of the dead leaves and branches and assorted bits and pieces of trash that have fallen from my tree of life. That is why I need a Savior so much. He does that cleanup task for me and carries away the garbage on wings of forgiveness. My job is to bag it for Him, and He helps with that, also! I pray your day is beginning with a smile. If not, you can have one of mine. In Christ's Love, Preacher.
