The joys of a little at a time

I've been home since Saturday evening and I am just beginning to feel I have life back on a schedule. Well, whatever that means. Having some kind of a routine and schedule gives me boundaries and goals in my everyday life in much the same way a budget gives boundaries and warning signals when our finances are being stretched too far. When there is nothing to compare... no list to look at... no place to check off... no goals at all... then we don't know where we are on this journey of life.

I guess my ponderings today would normally take place on a Sunday Afternoon Tea but they have been on my mind so much these past couple of days that I couldn't wait until Sunday to chat about them. Perhaps what started such ponderings was the joy in coming home to a garage that is (almost) completely organized. It never will be completely clean, of course. If nothing else, it requires constant sweeping and continuous maintenance.

A month ago I felt my "to do" list was overwhelming, it could never be accomplished. I'd cut out all the extras and what was left was... way too much... or so it seemed. Some good things had to be laid aside due to time, energy, and money. I'm planting far less flowers than usual. There was no way to put in the garden I'd love to have this year. Christopher's graduation pictures will be taken after his graduation!

However, by doing a little at a time with what energy and finances I had to work with, the results are good. Not perfect... but good. I truly believe God gives us wisdom at all times when we need it. One day I was thinking about all I had to do when this thought came to my mind, "A little at a time will produce great results. Doing nothing causes us not only to stand still but to fall backward". I now realize what He was trying to get through to me.

It took me weeks (and weeks) to get the garage to the place it is now. Many attempts were only accomplished five or ten minutes at a time. Then there were the two days I felt quite well enough to finish the project by working hours on it. However, if I hadn't been chipping slowly away at the project, I would not have been at that point where I could see the proverbial " light at the end of the tunnel" enough to jump in and finish it. If I had chosen to do absolutely nothing rather than a little each day... my garage would be in a much worse state than it was when I started.

The house is in good condition... done a little at a time. It needs some major dusting, sweeping, polishing... but everything is in place and looks good... even "treasures" brought home from Pennsylvania. (Thanks to a few items, I now have my living room back to a "primitive Americana" look... just by changing out the accessories for the most part.)

I'm enjoying my scrapbook journal very much. I spent many winter hours (evenings propped up in bed) cutting pictures out of old magazines and then filing them separately for later use. I then covered the black, spiral, artist notebook with pretty contact paper and glued favorite pictures on ten or fifteen pages... all ready to be picked up and used at a moment's notice. A project accomplished, a little at a time, during usually unproductive hours. My next such project is to make yo-yo's for an item yet to be determined.

This week there are the usual lawn and garden "to do's" but I'd hate to think what it would have looked like if I had not done all that weeding and trimming about thirty minutes at a time. We didn't get out to "spring clean" the porch due to all the rain before we left... you can tell it. Now there will be a chore!

I cannot stomp my feet and yell at God to give me more health, energy, money, time, etc. I've tried it... it doesn't work... although I do take my needs before Him. He has met every need (in His time, and His way) as well as provided great gifts which brought joy and delight. He consistently amazes me. It is the enemy of our souls who whispers in our ears those things we lack and makes us think we have been forsaken.

We can only plant the seeds we have been given of work, time, energy, money, talents... just a little at a time if necessary. We are living in this moment of time and space and in finite bodies that can get tired, over worked, lose sleep (especially with preschoolers around), become weak, and make it necessary to push through exhaustion and for some people... pain.

However, a little done each day really does result in great accomplishments. I believe He takes the seeds planted and helps us harvest results we never thought could be done. No wonder we lay our crowns at His feet. :)