Saturday Morning On The Deck
My deck this beautiful Saturday morning.
I’m home for a couple of months, looking forward to some beautiful moments on my deck and walking the yard to examine my new plantings. I fear I might have simply set a buffet for the wabbits. Dang, critters are so fun to watch, but they love to munch on my flowers which makes me crazy.
So, what is on your agenda for the season? A long-awaited vacation, some peaceful yard work, and a little time on your patio, perhaps. I hope you will take some time to smell the roses. Well-spent downtime is good for the soul and sets you up for a brilliant remainder of the year.
Today I will finish mulching my flower beds, which I have not done for a few years. I usually hire out this work but thought I would give it a try 2023. I worked with a good friend yesterday who knows horticulture well, so I expect an outstanding display throughout the season. Ninety degrees reminded me that I am still not a lover of extreme heat after all these years. The work also reminded me that I am sixty-eight years old. It took a good knap and some pasta to get my energy back, and I’m a little sore this morning. But it’s a good sore.
Two quiet months will allow me to return to writing a book I began almost three years ago while attending to the tasks associated with publishing Lead Like a Bodyguard. There is a lot more to publishing a book than I realized, which makes the process an adventure.
I will spend the first few days of August in Colorado near Rocky Mountain National Park. Not a bad place to be in August. An organization with whom I have worked for several years will be celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary, and I look forward to cheering them on to twenty-five more fruitful years. As an organization, they have witnessed thousands and thousands accept Jesus, and they are growing exponentially.
Interestingly, four groups I work with are celebrating significant anniversaries this year. One has existed for twenty years and planted over 1,000 churches, and another has been around for seventy years and produced hundreds of new churches worldwide. Yet another celebrates seventy years of service to this community. And finally, the folks I’ll gather with in August to celebrate their silver jubilee and many victories.
Some things about aging suck! Most days, one awakens to a persistent or new pain somewhere on your body that you didn’t know you could experience discomfort there. I cannot run twelve miles anymore, and I’m not sure why I did it regularly in the first place. There are a number of activities which no longer interest me.
However, getting along in years affords numerous benefits. These four dynamic organizations reveal there is great benefit in taking the long view. If you work at something for a long time, learning and growing as you go, one day, you awaken to a tree full of fruit. All the hard work, frustration, and silly mistakes coalesce into something gratifying. One morning you get to sit on your deck and think, “I’ve helped do a good thing, and it is pleasant.”
Change happens quickly and consistently, but if one integrates improvements as part of extended goals, those adjustments are not bad. Trust me, using a smartphone beats picking up a receiver that hangs on the wall any day. Creating documents on a computer easily bests typing words on a typewriter, and streaming is far superior to having only four or five viewing choices.
You don’t want things always to stay the same because there is always something better and more effective right around the corner. Plus, the knowledge and wisdom you gained along the way assists you in utilizing the new tool effectively.
Many endeavors in life require the extended view to witness the fruit of your labor. Rome, indeed, was not built in a day. Would you like a deeply fulfilling marriage? Take the long view. Are you building a great organization like a church, start-up company, or non-profit? Keep your eyes on the horizon. Are you learning an instrument or how to cook delicious meals? Don’t spend your time looking in the rearview mirror.
I have several large, mature trees in my yard, and they stand majestic over my little plot of land. It is said that people who plant trees are visionary because most trees grow slowly. In particular, a silver maple adorns my front yard. It stands about forty feet towards the sky and provides shade for the entire yard. When Gail and I planted it nearly thirty years ago, it stood a grand six feet. The magnificent beauty has weathered many storms and will outlast those disgusting new flies who moved in recently. This tree took the long view.
Many experiences and goals will come and go in your life, and that is as it should be, but pick a handful of aspirations that will provide you with pleasure only after many years. The waiting is worth it.
This evening I will check out the Ford car show in little Carlisle, PA. I am not mainly a “Ford Guy,” but I love nice cars, and there will be many to enjoy. The streets will be lined with classics, rods, and contemporary beauties this weekend. This event is the largest Ford car show in the world! Who would have thought a little town in central Pennsylvania would become home to such a special event? Somebody took the long view.
Enjoy your summer, and by all means, slow down a bit so you can observe the wonders you pass every day.
Live Inspired!
Don Mark
