Mowing the Lawn

Last week, as the temperatures soared and the humidity skyrocketed, I needed to cut my grass. I had put it off as long as I could, and I had several excellent excuses for why. It’s hard to cut the grass while it’s raining, which it did constantly the week before. And also… well… I’ve been busy, which is my standard excuse for putting off anything I don’t want to do. If the dishes need to be washed, or the laundry needs to be done, or the attic needs to be cleaned out, sorry, I’m busy. At the rate I’m going, that attic won’t be cleaned out in my lifetime.

But there is something highly motivating about a lawn that needs to be mowed. Especially when your neighbors haven’t been as busy as you. I was surrounded by well manicured lawns and could almost hear the homeowners association knocking on my door. “Mr. Purdy,” they would say, “The Homeowner’s constitution, article 4, paragraph 2 clearly states that all lawns must be between 2 and 4 inches tall. If you don’t cut your grass we will have no choice but to arrest you and send you to the Alcatraz lawn prison.”

With that in mind, I ventured out on Friday morning to cut my grass. In the old days, I could do the job in a couple hours, but I’m not as fast as I used to be. Before I can even get started, I have to put on sunscreen, insect repellent, and a wide brim hat. I have to make sure I drink plenty of water, take lots of breaks, switch out the batteries on the lawn mower, and yell at the dogs every few minutes. (They are obligated to bark at mailmen, thunder, squirrels, vacuum cleaners, and lawn mowers. I think that’s in the constitution too.)

Between filling in holes in the lawn, stopping to avoid heatstroke, and fixing the gate I broke transitioning from the front yard to the back yard, it became a two day job. When I came inside on Saturday I was sweaty, thirsty, hot and tired. BUT! It was a good kind of tired. The kind of tired you get from working hard and accomplishing something.The book of Proverbs says, “Look at the ant, you sluggard! Watch them and be wise. They have no commander, but they store up food in the summer. A little sleep, and little slumber, a little folding of the hands, and poverty will come on you like a bandit.”(Proverbs 6)

I’m a bit of a sluggard from time to time. And the older I get the sluggier I become. (Which is a word I just invented). But God intended for us to be productive. If I’m not too busy on Friday, I may just tackle that attic