The Other Side of the Fence

To quote one of my favorite songs from my favorite music artist http://www.samthedummy.com/

Oh what a wonderful day

Come on, admit it

be it sunny or gray

Don't you forget it

Every hour is super special

I, for one, am happy to be alive

Oh what a glorious day

I'm filled with wonder

At the wonderful way

That even thunder

Can remind me Who is holding

Every moment anyway

What a wonderful day!

We had such a nice day yesterday. I, like so many of you, was thinking especially of my incredible Mother. I know often she feels like she hasn't accomplished much in life, but her life is continuing to influence down through the generations. I am looking forward to celebrating Mother's Day with her next weekend. The boys are pumped about heading to Papa and Nanny's. It's been too long since we've made it up there, but alas a 7 hour trip with a 4 year old and a 2 year old is not what we do often, for obvious reasons.

Yesterday, we enjoyed a worshipful day with dear friends. Matt made muffins for breakfast (we always have muffins on Sunday mornings) , and I was presented a lovely gift that I have had on my wish list for quite some time. As always, the boys and Matt made me a very unique card. It was shaped like a pyramid and Matt said it was for their "mummy" because I was one of the "wonders of the world". Goofy, I know, but I loved it.

After church we went to our neighbor's (and dear friends, I might add) house for a picnic. The boys enjoyed a golf cart ride with the neighbor girls, who happen to be two of their favorite people.

I will spare you the details of the whole day, but we did have such a nice day. Both Matt and I were unable to be with our Mom's on this special day, we don't think there is anything sacred about the particular day however, so we plan to be with them both later this week.

I was talking with a good friend last week about "the other side of the fence" and it was another good perspective aligning conversation. It is, by human nature, a most easy thing to look at others and think, "now they have it all together" or "if only I had their life " or "boy, sure wish I could do what so-and-so gets to do". Earlier that day I had listened to a Focus on the Family broadcast on Singleness. This particular friend is single and I wanted to get her take on what I had heard. As I spoke with my friend we realized something, the old saying, "the grass seems greener on the other side of the fence" is so true. I had always thought of that saying as a one-way thing though. The people who have it good, are on the other side. While I would admit that the other side had a higher water bill and had to be mowed more often, it was still greener.

My friend and I realized that, the grass is not greener, it's different. In our flesh we tend to think that we're always missing something. Kind of like when my kiddos are each enjoying a snack, they both have a treat, but they want to taste the one the other has. Don't get me wrong, I love my life and wouldn't trade it, but there are times when my single/no kids girlfriends go shopping or out for ice cream late at night and inside I sigh and think, "boy their grass is really green." Then I hear my single friends say, "you get to go home to a house full of people", and I can almost hear them sigh and say, "boy, her grass is greener." The point is, it's not. It's just different, and on my side of the fence their are weeds, just like on your side. On the other hand, on my side of the fence there is a lot of sunshine and flowers, but I bet there is on yours too. So I think the point is, in whatsoever state we are in, in that we should be content. Contentment, now that sounds like a way to enjoy the grass we have. Elisabeth Elliot warned us to not lose the joy of today by always looking for the joy of tomorrow. So I'm going to enjoy my grass, weeds and all. I hope you do the same.