Pine Cones and Squirrels

(3-17-2012)

(Photo courtesy of Matt)

One of our favorite places to go in the Naperville area is the Morton Arboretum. Since we have had 70-80 degree weather most of the week, we decided to make a trip there today. The Norway Spruces are my absolute favorite and I couldn't wait until we made it to that part of the woods. As we were making our way to the back of the Arboretum, I was in awe of how amazing and beautiful God's creation is. I was also thinking about how much I love staying home with my daughter but how things can seem so mundane at times. Aside from taking care of and playing with Madelyn, my days are typically filled with lots of dishes, laundry, cleaning, preparing meals, etc. All of these tasks are never truly "finished." You do the dishes only to make another meal to have to do the dishes again and so on. But then I began to think about the trees that surrounded us and how many years it has taken them to get this big and majestic and a thought occurred to me. What if my "reward" isn't instant, like those who go to work and get a paycheck. Perhaps all of the years I put into teaching, loving, disciplining, and enjoying Madelyn and taking care of the household chores will eventually lead to the fruit of my labor, just like these trees. For this revelation, I am thankful!