How to Turn Fun Into Work

I discovered the most amazing bargain on flowering plants. They were such a great price that I filled the back of the truck with Knock-Out roses, Marigolds, Geraniums, Petunias. Even Dahlias and delicate Touch Me Nots were piled and tucked around tools and wood, things that WERE on our list to bring home.

 

I didn’t really intend to buy plants.

I was tired.
What I needed was a nap or a whole day to just sleep without interruption. What I didn’t need was  one more, huge undertaking like planting a yard full of Marigolds and Geraniums.

 

Still my yard desperately needed color and the prices were about 90% off. So I picked through the clearance rack to find the best looking plants. Plants that would thrive on the sunny slopes at our mountain home.

 

Now it was true that they were in varying degrees of neediness. Some had simply lost their beautiful blooms and onl needed someone with enough vision to see their potential. Others were in pretty sad shape and had to be planted and nurtured quickly or they would not make it.

Rescuing plants is one of my specialties.

Almost everything in my garden is a Mark-Down Rescue!

That meant I had to get a lot of plants in the ground, in the right location and do it quickly. Soooooo early the next morning, as soon as I finished my devotions, even before we ate breakfast I was in the yard…digging.

Trimming off dead leaves and spent blooms.

Enriching the soil with compost.

I dug bearishly! I buried each plant hurriedly and moved to the next. I squatted. I was up and down and up and down…again and again.

After hours of hard work, Wayne came out to check on me and see how things were progressing. Handing me a cup of steaming coffee (I just love that precious man.), he smiled and innocently commented, “I’m so glad you had the opportunity to enjoy your garden.”

 

GRRRR!

I didn’t dare comment. “ENJOY?”

I wasn’t enjoying anything!

I was working!

Planting flowers and shrubs is work! Hard work!

My only goal was to get all the plants into the ground, so I could move to the next task on my long “To Do List!”

I was glad Wayne didn’t linger. I might not have contained my frustration. (Poor guy!)

 

I stood and stretched my back

as I sorta… OK! I’ll admit it…reluctantly though…as I steamed over my coffee! “I work so hard!” I complained to myself.

 

I looked out on the beautiful mountains that I love so much.

 

The weather was perfect.

A cool mountain breeze blew through the branches of the trees at the foot of the hill. Tiny spring-green colored (my favorite color) leaves were just beginning to burst from excited branches all over the trees.  It was too early for the weeds (Hallelujah!), so I could see through the trees. We had cut the bramble and underbrush, so that dreaded task was behind us. I, yes, I had shoveled and wheel barreled about 3 tons of gravel to create a weed free zone around the patio.

 

But how do I do it?

How do I turn fun into work?

Why do I do it? Why???

How do I miss the joy?

How do I take something I love and turn it into work?

Why would I do that?

I relish the feeling of dirt on my fingers. I always take off my gloves when I tuck a plant into it’s new bed. I enjoy feeling the texture of  the delicate plant and pull the soil around its fragile roots.

But this time and way too many times lately, the only thing I felt was hurry!

I hadn’t felt the soil.

I hadn’t seen the beauty of the shapes and varying colors of green leaves, or bright blooms because “I had to get it done! I had to  HURRY.”

 

I had turned this wonderful treat into work!

Why?

 

I’ve always loved people that have the gift of turning work into fun!

My daughter-in-law, Jenny, is a master at doing that with her children. I just love to watch the transformation. Whether it’s dancing their way to put up toys or singing through a task. She changes WORK into Fun!

 

But I had turned FUN into WORK! A painful difference.

I have done that way too much lately.

That’s really sad.

I twisted my task  into WORK (in a bad way) when I allowed my attitude to warp or gnarl it into something it shouldn’t be.

I choose my attitude. Will I fill this moment with joy or hurry through it with drudgery? Only I can make that choice.

 

I repented as I leaned on my shovel and looked around me.

Beautiful blessings…that I had turned into a difficult chore.

I thought about other areas of my life that I had turned into work…cooking, sweeping, dusting, washing dishes.

 

Hurry and Worry are not your friends!

I stopped my hurry. I stopped my mad dash to get more done.

No, I think what I really did was exchanged my hurry, which was really worry… for worship.

Yes, I hurried because I worried that I wouldn’t get everything done!

 

My goal wasn’t to just complete a task.

My goal was to enjoy the task.

To enjoy the health that enabled me to  add beauty in my garden.

To appreciate the bargain that I had found, and turn that appreciation into worship!

 

I felt the dirt.

I looked at the plants with new eyes. I saw their beauty.

I thanked God for my beautiful bargains.

For His gifts.

For His peace.

 

And as strange as it sounds…and even though I was tired

The fun was back. I breathed the fresh air.

 

I repented for turning what should have been an act of worship into work.

My goal is to live out worship. Not just talk about worship.

My goal is to glorify God in everything I do!

 

Life is more than hurrying to get more done!

How can I turn my work, my ordinary…everyday activity into acts of worship? Tweet this!

Today, I’m shoveling gravel and you better believe turning that into worship is going to be an adventure! All I can say is let the wor…

did you think I was going to use that four lettered word again… NO WAY!

All I can say is “Let the WORSHIP begin!”

 

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:17