Cutting Grass with the Grassmaster

I once heard a Pastor complaining about people mowing their grass on Sunday mornings. “They should be in the house of the Lord!” he shouted. My thoughts on church attendance notwithstanding, God must draw the hearts of Man before they would have a desire to sit through a Sunday sermon. The hardest of hearts can be softened by God…even while they mow the lawn.

Personally I love mowing the lawn, it is one of my favorite times to be alone in thought and reflection with God. Today, I finally got around to mowing the grass. It’s strange how something so simple as mowing the grass can completely change the look of your property and house. An unkempt lawn can scream laziness, or indifference, but a nicely cut lawn, well manicured makes a home look clean, orderly and well cared for. In truth, after I mowed the lawn I walked into a very messy house. My daughter’s toys were still on the floor from yesterday, last night’s dishes were sitting in the sink, this morning’s Eggo leftovers were on the table, the beds in our rooms weren’t made, laundry sat on the computer chair, and pajamas were on the floor in the bathroom. Yes, I confess, we make messes!! I had to get to my Psychology class so I didn’t have time to clean up after I showered, but I made sure when I got home to get it cleaned up and presentable.

We treat ourselves in the same manner. We can get gussied up, shower, shave, put some foo foo* on, a finely pressed shirt or a hot looking dress and hit the town…or wear your Sunday’s finest to church, getting your kids in their finest clothes as well. For some, this “cutting the grass” is just a covering for the disarray in our lives that we prefer to keep hid. We don’t like to talk about our downfalls, our failures and struggles. In fear that we may lose our status with the Jones’ across the street, or the Jones’ across the church pew we continue our masquerade. It has been my experience that it’s the church people that are more at fault in this regard than others.

Our society has all but killed “talking” in an age of mass communication and electronic media. Smiles have been replaced with emoticons, family time with our American Idol time, and our deepest conversations take place on cell phones.

We need to bring back “talking” with our friends and family. We need to take time to discuss matters of heart and faith with honesty and frequency. An amazing thing will take place when we open deeply honest lines of communication, we’ll find others whose homes were just as messy, but found a reason to clean them up.

So I challenge you, next time you are mowing the lawn, reflect upon the messes “inside” and start honest dialogue with God, family and friends about what you have found within.

*Foo Foo is my childhood name for cologne