Friday, January 9, 2009

Hopeful Friday...cleaning up and putting away


House in the Roses is hosting Hopeful Friday...so here's my contribution...if you'd like to participate, go here: http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/2009/01/hopeful-friday-dream.html

Today was the day...finally deciding to put away the majority of the Christmas ornaments and decorations throughout the house. Having been so late in getting my decorations out this year, I intentionally left them out to enjoy them a little longer. Pulling everything out and storing items that sit out most of the year ends up taking about a day or two.

Memories flood over me as I pull out each piece, and again as I wrap them carefully and put them back in their safe place...they each have a special place, or box, they fit in...then, they are stacked in the basement away from any harm of flying objects or gym equipment. (DH has a golf tee with plastic, holey plastic balls that sometimes go places they're not intended to go...)

Sadness sometimes takes me over when I'm tucking everything back into their containers...why can't we have Christmas all year? Then, I ponder on the ying and yang, the good and bad, the valleys and the mountaintops. Even scriptures speaks to there being a specific time for every purpose...(Ecclesiastes 3:1 "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.")

This section of Ecclesiastes is speaking of human labors...and today my labor was hard and tiring, hot flashes and all, intensified as I scurried up and down the steps, digging in and out of boxes, wrapping and tucking things in their proper places. Once I completed these chores, I vacuumed throughout the house and now am ENJOYING the fruits of my labor. It seems almost empty in the house without my nativities, angels and pictures with Santa.
The writer notes beginning at Eccles. 3:9 "What do people really get for all their hard work? ... He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end...there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can.,,people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God."

Our fruits from our labor are our gifts from God...and the eternity that He planted in our hearts! What labor has been tough for you this past week?

Be hopeful and enjoy looking back on the fruits of that labor...