Toil Is Good

So you were born to feel “nice”? 

Instead of doing things and experiencing them? 

Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? 

And you’re not willing to do your job as a human being?

 Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands?

---Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius

I saw the quote above in an article this morning, and it resonated. 

It IS fun to stay under the covers and sleep a little longer or to spend hours of relaxation on the couch, reading, watching TV or even nodding off.

But each of the above is usually much more enjoyable after you've been doing things and experiencing them.

You've earned that sleep or that lounging. 

I also loved the reminder about how, in our day, especially those of us who are blessed to live on a farm, we do see all the other creatures of the earth, busy at their tasks.  

Kinda nice to be working alongside them.

Our days are loaded with tasks, ranging from taking care of our own creatures, tending our own abodes and maybe spending time in service to others.

Seems like a simple and easy plan to follow, albeit at times, wearisome, but in the end, all that toil eventually reaps results. 

I was reminded of that yesterday after pulling several beautiful radishes from the soil. 

 

Time spent from the day the seeds went into the ground until the first delightful taste involved consistency, attention and some toil, but in the end, I felt great satisfaction as I held up the bouquet of those beautiful radishes  and smiled.  

Yup, I'd say Marcus Aurelius had a good point.

If we would all do our job as human beings, what a wonderful world this could be!  

Yesterday I saw a few examples of other humans who have put in the time and seen the rewards. 

A wonderful issue of Sandpoint Magazine will be available around town today.

When one considers that the editor of this publication put in the time, used her creativity and inspired the troops---all while battling cancer---that's a pretty good example of embracing each day's work. 

Great job, Trish.  

We're all doing our personal and prayerful work in your behalf. 

While at the middle school on an errand yesterday, I saw a young woman walk into the office whom, until yesterday, I had only seen in the hay field doing her daily summer task of harvesting with farm equipment. 

In past sightings, she had been dressed for the farm work and had the tan to show she'd spent considerable time in the fields. 

Yesterday her uniform and her overall look had changed.  She had beautifully styled hair and looking like an educational professional. 

That summer farm work helped her raise the funds to pursue her dream of becoming a math teacher.  Now, she is one, and from what I've heard a great one. 

It took the toil and the desire to get out of bed every day and perform the multitude of tasks---physical, mental and emotional--- for her to reach this point in her life. 

Both students and this young teacher are sure to reap the rewards. 

While at the school, I saw another individual who was  transformed from my usual sightings of her in jeans and working boots.  

This one, a gal named Mary, does her work as a teacher of middle school students and as a teacher of young horses. 

"I rode CB last night," she proudly announced to me, as she walked into the office after her day spent in the school classroom.

That news was music to my ears, I'll tell you.  

 Mary also added it was just a few steps that CB carried her but that brief session his road toward becoming a saddle horse had been successful. 

That's kinda how life is---a first step, a few more and then we're on our way. 

Later, Mary texted and told me, "We went all around the arena tonight."  

All these examples illustrate that individual desire to get out of the bed or off that couch to do the work and to attend to individual tasks of putting our world in order.

Happily, most of the time, it all eventually adds up.  

And, whenever those moments come that our individual world exhibits a sense of order AND illustrates personal achievement evolving from all the toil, it feels oh so good and we can feel "nice." 

Happy Thursday.