Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The Gardener in Our Backyard

Mat had this weekend off, so he spent quite a few hours trying to redo our backyard.  It was complete weeds when we moved in and over the 9 months that we've lived here, they grew to a healthy 4-5 feet tall.  Mat had to weed the entire thing (it's not huge, but indulge me) then level it with a little, plastic toddler rake (word to Camden for letting Dad use his birthday gift). We bought some dirt to level it even more, then planted seed and fertilizer, etc. Then he pruned back the tree that hangs into our yard from our neighbor's. 

Camden loves being outside, so we all spent one morning outside together.  Cam played in his pool while I sat and read a book, and Mat worked (I'm a great wife, can you tell?). As I sat watching Mat, though, I was overcome by the hard work he was putting into it.  He was sweating and tired, but he worked relentlessly to perfect every part of our little backyard.  He was to be master of it--I could see it in his eyes.  It was becoming his pride and joy, and he would spend many hours caring for it.  I was suddenly reminded of the Allegory of the  Olive Tree and how the master goes to work with his servants.  I could see how much it mattered to Mat the outcome of our little plot and he refused to let it fail.  In that moment, I felt like I saw a little glimpse into what our Heavenly Father and our Savior feel for us.  They truly sweat and work and care for us in every way. It made me want to work a little harder on myself, so maybe in the future, I wouldn't need as much pruning. 

Somehow it didn't quite motivate me enough to get up and help Mat, though.  :) 

1 comment:

Marie said...

Sounds like a pretty intense day off, but also a good way to blow off some steam :) My dad LOVES gardening. He pretty much spends the entire summer outdoors.