Three times I have picked lettuce from the garden. While I am not generally a wasteful person, it is not unheard of that greens fade and go limp in my crisper from being kept waiting. But the lettuce I brought home today after a morning of weeding and watering was in no danger of neglect. I cared about it and  sprinkled the frilly leaves with walnuts and orange slices, before the water back in the garden had dried. Every last lacy scrap disappeared, including the one I dropped on the floor. Having spent a bunch of time digging in the dirt and spraying a mist of water across the rows it became alive to me, worthy of respect. 

John has been building me a second hen pen, in time for Silkies that are in my near future. We are painting it green, both for camouflage and to protect the bars from sunlight. I could easily have finished without help from the twins but it felt like a good idea to invite them. We slapped paint around last night and with each stroke our joint investment in the finished product grew. 

Building a contraption with your own hands, or participating in the growth of a garden are sure fire ways to be invested.

I suppose it would be within God's sphere of influence to hand me a finished marriage. Anyone who can compose the song of a lark, or decorate the sky with clouds can probably whip together a fool proof relationship. But the investment factor gives Him a reason to let me try, even if I am sometimes a fool.