Leaves and Gnome Doors

This little gnome door reminds me of the things that matter most.

Last weekend my hubby and I decided it was time to do some spring raking. We always put that particular chore off because we have dozens of hardwoods that produce thousands of leaves, maybe even millions. Some people rake their leaves as they fall, not us, we wait until the spring. I read somewhere that leaving them in place is good for the grass. It sounds reasonable.

We finally got going and got into a groove. Hubby and I were in the front and our son was raking in the back. We had about half of the front yard done, when my son approached his dad with a picture on his phone. It was a gnome door he found somewhere on the internet. He wanted to make one for one of our trees. He had found the perfect spot to put one in our backyard.

Now my sweet husband has a fascination for gnomes. Who knows why? Can you guess what he did?

He put down the rake. He and my son gathered up wood. Some kind of power tools were involved and at some point, I smelled spray paint.

I continued the yard work, solo, for a good while longer before I called it an afternoon. But, I chuckled to myself the entire time. I live with a bunch of right-brained, creative people. I have learned that when they get inspired, for whatever reason, it’s best to let them go with my blessing.

There was a time when I would have been upset that we didn’t get the leaves raked. We had work to do. It wasn’t time to play. Didn’t we owe it to our neighbors to have our lawn raked? What would people say?

But, years of prayer and acceptance and simply traveling around the sun enough times, have taught me that the creative things are the things that matter most. The father and son time matters way more than raking leaves ever could.

I seriously doubt there is any more creative field in the entire world than the imagination of a child. When God entrusted this child to me and all of his gifts, didn’t He also expect me and my husband to nurture his gifts?

Father and son spent several hours on the gnome door and moss was added for a walkway and it turned out beautifully. I halfway expected a gnome to come walking out. My son couldn’t wait to show me and I couldn’t wait to take pictures.

The leaves still litter the front yard. But, I can see the little gnome door from my kitchen sink when I do dishes. I can see it from the kitchen table. I can see it from my bathroom window when I’m upstairs and it makes me smile. It reminds me of the things that matter and the things that don’t. It reminds me to treasure my loved ones as well as their gifts. It reminds me to be intentional.

I learned a lot from that little gnome door. Maybe you can too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂