Hello Hatters,
Before Thanksgiving, I put up Christmas lights, or I should say, I started to put up Christmas lights. I got about a fourth of the way completed and a young man stopped his car and asked me if I needed some help. I told him, “Come on.” I really was out of my league anyway, but I wanted the lights up and I was willing to do whatever it took to accomplish the goal. I was seriously glad for the help. The lights were really tangled as I had wanted icicle lights that blink different patterns. The young man was very patient and helped me untangle and hang the lights.
When my family came for Thanksgiving, they were all excited to see the house decorated on the outside. You see, grief had a way of tangling me up in years past. Putting up the lights was always in Country Hubby’s wheelhouse. In doing the lights this year, it’s yet again another sign that I’m moving forward. Yay!
During the Thanksgiving break, I was able to keep my grandkids until Sunday. The kids wanted to go to the Dollar Tree which I happily obliged. My grandson got a plastic slinky. I remember those toys from my day, but back then, the slinkys were metal. In no time at all, the plastic slinky was all messed up. While my grandkids played outside, I attempted to untangle the plastic slinky. I had to study each ring to figure out where it belonged in order to straighten out the mess.
So my Christmas lights were tangled and my grandson slinky was tangled, and my next tangled story relates to my wayward but precious rescue dog that loves to get out of my fence. Consequently, I have become all too familiar with chicken wire. Now that stuff gets tangled, and I might as well mention that gloves are essential! The interesting thing about the new roll of chicken wire for this latest episode of repairing fences, is that there’s a central wire that goes around and around and around the 50 foot roll. I’m not saying it’s the hardest thing to deal with on the repair of the fence, but it took a while to get that piece untangled and off the roll. Then the real work began with cutting, stapling, and securing the chicken wire against my fence. So far, my efforts have been successful in keeping the dog in the fence, and it looks much better than boards, concrete cylinders, and potted plants placed around the border.
In my faith walk, the tangled up Christmas lights, the slinky mess, and the chicken wire reminded me of how I must seem to the Lord. It’s easy for me to get tangled up with tasks that are unfamiliar or emotions that are intense, but the Lord can make things work out. I’m so glad to see hope in the little things that come my way. As a writer who wears many hats just like you, I need constant reminders that God continues to work in my life. My attention span is short, but my God is faithful.
I am so grateful.
MT Penny