Labor

I write this post this evening with winter-chapped fingertips simply as an online meditation... and because my Facebook friends probably wouldn't appreciate me rambling for 1,500 words on a status update.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor." (Ecclesiastes 4:9)

One year ago while I was lugging my odds-and-ends belongings, minus the movers, into my new apartment, this verse branded a giant invisible "YEP" on my heart. Today while I spent an hour and 45 minutes de-icing my car, this verse screamed at me again.

So, there have been at least two times in my life when I knew for sure that having a man around would have come in very handy. (In addition, of course, to all those womanly times when my ovaries scream at me.) A husband with muscles definitely would have come in handy 1) last year when I moved and 2) today when I scraped Icemageddon off my car.

Regardless, I was probably de-icing my vehicle in the most inefficient way possible (a couple of douses of warm water, lots of car-defrosting, and incessant ice-picking). Perhaps I should have asked somebody for help, or maybe I could have paid somebody to do it. But I did the best I could with what I had, and I usually lose track of time when I do that. (Which is probably why my employer isn't happy with me right now, but that's another story.)

And, of course, while I was watching ice slowly, gradually melt and break away before my eyes, I thought about how my heart was/is probably a lot like my iced-over car: packed in cold layers that just need to be chipped off and melted away. But that probably isn't the most accurate metaphor, because God can soften and melt hearts much faster than an hour and 45 minutes.

But I digress. I think maybe one reason God designed us for community isn't just because He Himself enjoys community. (The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit have been quite happy together, How is the weather? for all eternity.) I think maybe one reason God designed us for community is simply because we get more accomplished when we're in community. Living life together can be a very efficient thing. (However, if the people in your community embrace chaos, that's a completely different story.) Either you're making things happen more quickly, or you're recuperating on your couch typing up a blog post with chapped philosophical fingers. It's all good. It's just that the former is more efficient. And I think God knows that. (And I'm pretty sure Ecclesiastes 4 is talking about any type of relationship, not just marriage.)

No, this wasn't a pity party. This was me needing to philosophize before I exploded.

Regarding my non-existent husband with muscles, I think I'm more blunt than I've ever been in this area. The answer to, "So, Tirzah, when are you ever going to get married?" is more than likely, "Whenever Prince Charming gets off his butt and asks me out." And I type that with an affectionate smile. Because I think Prince Charming probably has a very cute butt.

Wait. Did I just type that out loud? Hmm. Maybe the generic Tylenol is kicking in now. I think I may have just typed up this post in a third of the time it took me to de-ice my car. Record!