Sunday Afternoon Tea - The art of "littling"

A dear friend called this past week, she lives in what she calls "the third world country of the New Mexican desert".  Just hearing her name can bring a smile to our household as she is not only quite funny but quite a... shall we say... character?

The last time I talked to her, she told me about finding a six foot long rattlesnake skin outside her front door.  Now, I have told her in the past you couldn't pay me to live where she does... and now I must say that includes visiting, too.  Sheesh, how creepy.

So where is the snake after it shed its' skin?  She has thought long and hard about that same mystery.

But I digress as usual...  She suffers from a lung disease so we talked about getting work accomplished when one doesn't feel well and doing work a little at a time until finished.

She told me she calls that... littling.  That is pronounced as little-ing. 

The fine art of littling is completing work a little here and a little there while resting in between.

I loved that word for what I do best!  Since chatting with her, I've thought of it often.  Especially Saturday as I planted my garden until I could no longer move.  Which meant the plants went in but the seeds had to wait until Sunday afternoon.  That is fine.  I'm littling.

Somehow having a beautiful word attached makes moving slowly and "a little at a time" quite appropriate.  After all, if there is a definition then that means I am not the only one who must do so.  There is a certain warm and cuddly feeling when one knows they are not alone.

This was one of those tough weeks physically.  Just the addition of a short lived flu bug kinda' threw me over the edge for awhile.  I can assure you that is not far to fall.  It is similar to when my husband tells me something (or someone) is driving him crazy and I remind him that is a very short trip.

But I digress yet again...

I am finding there are choices to be made not only each day... but at times each moment.  I must use wisdom to not overdo but then again one cannot spend their life on the sofa thinking about the good old days (which we often forget had more than their share of challenges, too).

By littling I can accomplish at times even the smallest of dreams.  Like having an organic veggie and herb garden... or enjoying my Study (which took nearly two years to transform and it is still a work in progress)... or taking dominion over the forest which is currently succeeding at replanting on our property.

What seems difficult, if not impossible, can be placed in the realm of possibility when we take the large scheme of things apart and turn them into do-able bite sized projects. 

And if we realize we are practicing the fine art of littling, well then how can we become frustrated when we are not reaching our goal as fast and furious and we would prefer?

Perhaps the real truth lay in the process of littling.  The Truth that life is a road we walk... a journey He has called us to travel... and not a race toward the destination.  It just may be that those things God allows in our life which slow us down are actually blessings and not curses.

Leaves a lot for one to ponder, doesn't it?

As for me... I will be in the garden planting seeds just a little at a time.  Perhaps getting them all planted today... perhaps finishing tomorrow.  But I think I'm going to take the time to enjoy the long awaited sunshine and warmth and truly live in the moment as each seed is sown with the promise of growing tall and strong.

What better way to thank the Giver of the seeds than to enjoy the very process of the gift He has given to plant and water and harvest.  All a little at a time.

Artwork:  Artist Susan Wheeler