A beast of burden

So, I had to work all weekend long. That meant I was in formal attire...you know dress slacks, blouse and high heels...all weekend long. Now most aspects of my job are appropriate for this formal attire, but there are also times within my job were formal attire, specifically high heels, does not seem appropriate. I had that moment this past weekend. It was graduation day and it was hot and humid. I had to park the car about a mile (it felt) away from the graduation facility. I had to carry boxes of supplies and bottled water into the facility, mind you I was in formal attire. As I am stumbling across the parking lot, through the hallways and into the green room, it dawns on me that I am a beast of burden, a work horse.

Now I live in Kentucky, the horse capital, so I know horses. Here's what I know, a work horse looks much different than a race horse. Let me show you.

Here is a famous work horse:

Here is a famous race horse:

Do you notice anything? Look at the legs on the work horse and then look at the legs on the race horse. It dawns on me that when I am in high heels, I am like a race horse....thin little pegs not meant to haul things. If you put a heavy load on the race horse you will break it's legs. The legs of the work horse are meant to sustain heavy loads.

I'm just thinking that maybe I need to re-think high heels on days like these.

An exposed fence and a mother's heart

So, my son has a job....painting about 5 miles of fence on a Kentucky farm. It's taking forever....the wood is totally exposed and is sucking up the paint. He has been painting while listening to his itunes. This past Sunday I decided to help him. So I poured him some paint and then poured mine. I told him that I had brought his earphones for him to listen to his music, but he said, "That's okay mom, I don't need them. Can't we just talk?" So we began to paint....for about 2 hours we painted, side by side....he and I talking the whole time. I was just like the fence...I sucked up every sweet minute we had together!

Smell that smell

So, I have a Bradford Pear tree in my front yard. I planted it when my house was built. I went to the store and picked it out....out of all the trees at the store, I chose it as the one that would adorn my yard. You see, I had noticed how beautiful the Bradford Pear tree blossomed in the spring here in Kentucky...it kind of reminded me of the Cherry Blossom trees in D.C., but for a fraction of the price.

Selection made, Bradford Pear, tree planted.

The next few years the tree grew. A few years later it was much larger and I anticipated that my yard would be beautiful that spring. The buds began to sprout up on the branches and then the day finally arrived. It was in full bloom. How beautiful! That evening I sat on my porch admiring my tree, when suddenly a rank, a very rank smell wafted through the air. I got up and walked around my yard...was there a dead fish somewhere? I couldn't figure out where this smell was coming from....I continued to walk throughout my yard, as I walked closer to my beautiful tree the smell got stronger. I couldn't remember fertilizing the tree, especially with dead fish, but maybe someone else did. So I got down on my hands and knees and sniffed the trunk. I could still smell the stink, but it wasn't coming from the ground. I stood up and the smell got stronger. I put my nose up to the beautiful blossoms and viola.....that was the smell.....the stink....something similar to a dead fish....it was those beautiful blossoms. Are you kidding me?

As I have mentioned before, I am a bit slow and therefore, the best life lessons for me contain a visual. I walked away from my tree, quite far away, and I admired it's beauty. Then I walked closer to it and couldn't help but think how the beauty faded as the stench permeated my nostrils. I wonder, what kind of a Christian am I. Am I a Bradford Pear or a Cherry Blossom tree? Am I beautiful from afar, but the closer you get to me.....the stench overwhelms the beauty? Or am I a Cherry Blossom tree.....beautiful from afar, and as you draw closer....the sweet smell only enhances the beauty. Hmmmm......