Sometime late last summer, early fall, I finally found some yard tools that did not require a pull cord, oil mixtures, or any stress whatsoever. I truly never really wanted to own anything like it because I always felt like that was a man’s job.
And I just wasn’t interested in all of that manual labor. I loved to push mow, plant flowers and care for them but heavy duty lifting and cutting did not appeal to me very much unless it was a necessity. Until I found these my special yard tools.
These tools were really cute and trendy. They were lime green, trimmed in black with a sleek stylish look. They came with interchangeable parts and batteries. The battery could be used for the blower, the pole saw or the hedgers. They make more interchangeable tools as well but I am not trying to do too much. That is a man’s job.
When this Spring sprung early, I knew I was missing my window to cut back my Crepe Myrtle trees, large Camellia bushes and other nameless trees. This past weekend I pulled out all of the tools and attempted to trim everything that needed trimming. Once I had everything ready to go, I quickly discovered the pole saw was uncomfortably heavy. Instantly I became salty. Because this is a man’s job.
I was so distraught over the heavy tools that I got my phone out to take pictures of the pole saw so I could post it for sale on Facebook. I was completely defeated, upset, sad, mad and all of the other feelings that come with being distressed over doing a man’s job. Typically when I am feeling overwhelmed and exhausted because of working hard with three jobs and single momming…. it doesn’t take much to make me sensitive about doing what should be a man’s job.
It was definitely poor pitiful me time. I sat on the porch with phone in hand and just cried for a few minutes. My whole yard life was flashing before my eyes. After the pity party, I asked God give me strength to take care of my family and my home and if using a pole saw was not in my future then please bless me with the money to hire someone. And if he did bless me with someone to pole saw my yard up, please make him single, tall, dark and handsome.
After reflecting for a while, not posting the pole saw for sale online, I decided to try again. If I just cut one limb a day every day for a year…it would add up over time. I could “Shawshank Redemption” my yard. One limb, one rock, at a time.
When I dried the tears and quit whining, the Holy Spirit ever so gently reminded me that single parenting is hard and I was made to do hard things. A single mom has to be the mom and the dad on most all occasions. I was also reminded whether it is a woman’s job or man’s job, he has equipped me for both. There is no distinction between the two when you are working hard and taking care of your family. God honors our hard work.
Even though I was initially feeling like a Proverbs 31 woman failure…the Lord helped me pull it together on my porch. Like he always does.
“She evaluates a field and buys it; she plants a vineyard with her earnings. She draws on her strength and reveals her arms are strong. She sees that her profits are good and her lamp never goes out at night.”
Proverbs 31:16-18
