THOUGHTS FOR THE ROAD....... LESS TRAVELED

Lessons learned for the Christian life.

Lessons Learned On The Lawn

     I have spent the better part of the last year feeling utterly defeated. I have prayed, I have talked to friends, I have talked to my pastor, I praised God through the storm but nothing seemed to lift the cloud. I realize, and have written about, the fact that we can't spend our entire lives on the mountain top. Would it be so much to ask though for just a few more mountain tops and not so many valleys??

   Those who read regularly will know that I have a plan to be out of debt this year, and that I am doing some pretty unusual things to save money like making my own shampoo and household cleaners. Well my newest brilliant idea came to me when my husband informed me that it was going to cost about $200.00 to get the lawn mower riding again this year. I just thought, jeeeez really, what next?!?!?!

   I did some math (on a Saturday of all things) and figured I could save money by getting a manual mower. I brought the thing home and put it together and started pushing it back and forth on the grass, which in some places is pretty steep. It went along pretty well... for about 45 seconds. Then I hit that first acorn, the mower came to a stop and I just about went flipping over the handlebars.

   I managed to free the acorn and get back on track. It wasn't long until I felt that same jolt that meant that I would again need to stop and pry something loose from the blades of the mower (a small stick this time).  Right about then is when I started rethinking this whole work hard and save scenario. I wanted to pack that joke of a mower back up in its neat little box and carry it right back to Lowe's and forget the whole mess.

   Isn't that just how we sometimes treat the Christian life. We grab a hold with both hands and take off in a straight line, then we inevitably hit an acorn or a stick that stops us in our tracks. How many times do we pack it up and throw it back in the box, forget living this life, it's too hard.

   I am not going to get all metaphorical and equate the sticks to sin or trials. I will tell you that after a bit of a pity party I got out in the yard with the help of my kids and cleared away everything that might trip me up or get caught in the mower.  I still ran into a few that we missed, and again had to stop the whole operation to clear out the blades, but I got through it. I am still trying to clear out all of the acorns and sticks from my Christian life, something seems to be snagging me up as I try to push ahead, so I stop for a minute (or a month) and just try to figure out what I comes next, but I don't give up. I keep trusting in the One that saves me.

  
 
  

3 comments:

Ken said...

Great post. I love how you used the lawn mower to our Christian life.

4/3/11, 5:49 PM  
JT said...

There are all kinds of things that block our way to leading the kind of life that would honor Jesus. It is good to clear them out of the way and it is also good to let others help us with that clearing process.

4/5/11, 10:13 PM  
CJ said...

Great stuff! Our spiritual lives are easily derailed and obstructed. Thanks for offering hope that clearing the way can be done! Blessings to you!

4/7/11, 11:36 AM  

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