gleaners

I take Penny, 3 days a week to a Methodist Church for speech.  Speech is provided by our county's pre-school program, but we meet @ the church who also has a preschool program.  Due to some consignment sale tag sorting, I couldn't wait in the library and had to wait in another bible study room.  There I noticed the painting reproduction above, called "The Geaners," by Jean-Francois Millet (1857).  I instantly remembered the story in Ruth, where a weathly man found favor with her and allowed her (Ruth), Naomi and sis-in-law, to glean the field of wheat/grain after it had been harvested.  This painting was met with some contraversy back in the day, because it represented poverty.  As I looked at this painting, it didn't remind me of poverty but of motherhood.  I thought to myself that we mothers do what we need to do, to help provide for our families.  I am so thankful for friends who pass along their hand-me-downs for my children.  It seems that whenever we need something, someone from church or elsewhere, will give us a bag of something, that has those things that we needed neatly folded inside.   I glean from my husband and children; as they are amazingly, wonderfully spirited people, that I love.   I am VERY thankful for a loving husband who works ultra hard so that I can stay home with our wardlings.  This has been a precious time. Thank you!