So often I find myself struggling, cajoling Imogen along, hurrying her through life. It was a joy to see a picture of contentment as I looked out of the window the other day.
I am not a keen gardener. I really feel at a loss in the garden (unless I am sat in the sun with a book and a glass of wine!) to know where to start. Thankfully we moved to a home last year with a smaller garden that I feel I can tackle, so last weekend we got out in the sun as a whole family and worked in the garden. We painted the garden furniture, cleaned the flagstone patio, repotted plants, put up shelves. There was a moment when Murray and I looked at each other and said 'this is good' we were all involved with something together working for an end goal. Yes, it was fleeting, but it was there!
A couple of days later I looked out of the window to check on Immi. She had come home from school and had gone straight outside and had been there a while - the silence was worrying! I don't know if in your house your have seen any of the Tinkerbell series of Disney films - we have! (many times!) And it is very apparent to us that if Imogen had been a fairy she too would have been a 'tinker' fairy! This day paid homage to that - Immi was tinkering with pots, planting seeds, making creations and was beautifully content. She flitted from project to project, watering one minute, filling a pot the next, deadheading a few flowers, sweeping the patio. She was enjoying work and once again it taught me.
We were created to find joy in work. God gave the first humans the job of naming the creatures and looking after the earth, but then it all went horribly wrong and most of us (me included) find work a chore. I am a 'get the work done and then relax' kind of gal, but sadly the work seems never ending! Imogen however, has a gift of enjoying tinkering, pottering, enjoying her work (apart from reading which is a struggle) She didn't even notice that she was working - oh to have that gift!
