good, hard change

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I was sitting in the car, parked in the middle of my home town, thinking about the changes that have happened in my life recently. They have been good changes, many things for which I am extremely thankful! I got a job that I love, yet for some reason as I watch the clock turn, my stomach also turns in nervousness. It's new, and I guess I'm still growing accustomed to it.

    From here, I can see the old lamps of the town that light up the night, lifeless in the sunshine of daytime, and have been there as long as I've lived here, probably longer than I've been alive! It's comforting to see those lamps, to know how long they've been there. 

There is comfort in things that don't change. I don't know why I should fret about change when it's something I'm asking for all the time! 'Please let me get married soon', please make me well again', 'Please, please, please.' I guess it's a lack of trust in God's sovereignty. No, that's exactly what it is. Every day I go to work, I have to remind myself that God is in control. Every day I need His strength because work is hard! I like it too, but that doesn't mean it's easy. As in most cases with discontentment, the answer is thankfulness, so I'll thank the Lord for today, and tomorrow, and the next day, and the next after that... because each day is an undeserved gift, and He deserves my thanksgiving! So, thank You, Lord!

summer job

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Watering at a cemetery.

Doesn't sound like the pleasantest activity, does it? Well, it's not so bad if the weather is alright. It has been a tough summer, though; my mom and younger sister, Emily, have been working with me at this cemetery, watering the flowers there. It's such a sweet relief when the job is done, and not at all unpleasant when the check arrives in the mail. ;)

We helped plant the flowers earlier in the summer; geraniums, coleus, ageratum, spike plant, marigolds, dusty... I have almost all the plants' names perfectly memorized (or at least their nicknames) and by now know exactly how to care for each of them. Don't get any water on the petals of the geraniums; it makes them brown faster. Look for baby trees sprouting up in the plantings and be sure to pluck them. If an animal pulls a plant out, press it back into place firmly before giving the planting water, or you'll have a muddy mess... And so on, and so forth.

It isn't always a fun job, but it's teaching me discipline, building up some strength in my skinny little arms, and providing an income for my various savings folders. I'm learning to appreciate work, even when it is hard; an important lesson indeed. If anything, this job certainly makes me appreciate relaxation more!

We couldn't finish the weeding the last time we worked (Wednesday evening), so we're going to return to the cemetery some time this morning. I actually kind of like this part; it's nice to get rid of all the dead buds on the flowers, and see the plants perky and colorful again. I don't know why, but there's a kind of pleasure even in just snapping off the dying limbs --- it's like twisting off a ripe tomato, snipping off some leaves of fresh lettuce, or the like --- there's simply something special about working in a garden. =)