Like Watching Grass Grow

You’ve heard the phrase it’s about as exciting like watching grass grow? After living in Oregon I have a different take on this idiom. It’s about as much work like watching grass grow? In Damascus I look forward to Spring hoping for a little more sunshine and 70 plus degree temps, but as soon as I look out my living room window at the grass jungle (I think I hear Tarzan’s yell coming from the neighbors), my excitement turns to dread with all the work ahead. For those of you who are right now watering your lawn with the $11.95 garden hose from Home Depot, laying down a thick coat of 20-20-20 fertilizer, or have given up on nature’s carpet and called in the professionals to stretch out an all weather, hassle-free Astro Turf, you have no idea that grass could grow like this. It’s like a fungus growing in your teenage son’s gymbag over the summer, a Chia Pet on Miracle Grow, or Mr. Clean on Rogaine steroids who turns into Cousin Itt (Addam’s Family character for you young whipper snappers). It’s not boring to watch grass grow in Oregon, it is work!

But I am not intimidated as I fire up my 53,000hp John Deere riding mower with dual blades, lights, Monster Truck tires, and Coke holder (yes, it holds sweetened ice-tea, Mountain Dew and lemonade as well…I know it’s awesome. Charlene says it will hold bottles of water too, but whatever). So, I wait for the clouds to part, when the dove doesn’t come back, and after the rainbow fades I race into the grass jungle, full throttle, blades a slashing. After a couple of hours I stand victorious over nature taking my final sip of my iced beverage as I gently ease my workhorse back into his shed.

No sooner than I take off my grass encrusted clothes, I spot a few areas I may have missed, but I pay it no attention, however, the next morning with the sun beaming the jungle has come to life once again. Seriously, mowing my lawn twice a week, if you can find two dry days to do it, is necessary to just keep your home from disappearing into the Bermuda Triangle of Oregon grass and dandelions. Watching my grass grow is a work that never ends. A friend who grew up in Damascus said to me with a little evil twinkle in his eye, “If you want to really, REALLY get back at someone…go sprinkle fertilizer on his lawn in the middle of the night”. He seemingly took glee in the horror of his neighbor waking up, looking outside and with fists raised, yelling “NOOOOO!”.

I think of my own spiritual formation and growth. It is a work that never ends. Sometimes, just when I think I can kick back, sip on my lemonade and say job well done, the grass and the dandelions grow. The grass of distractions, apathy, pride, self-centeredness with dandelions of anger, jealousy and sin sprouting up is enough to make me want to give up, buy some Astro Turf, a few lawn gnomes and call it good. The good news is that God says I don’t have to tackle this job on my own. God has given me his super powered John Deere, his Holy Spirit with more than enough power to plow through any job. Fortunately for me, I don’t have to wait for a sunny day to tackle the overgrown lawn of spiritual neglect, I can mow each and every day - rain, sleet, snow or shine. In my prayers, devotions, conversations with others and obedience throughout the day, I can tackle the lawn of self with God’s help. But please no pranks of throwing fertilizer on my lawn, okay?

Jesus taught this principle through the illustration of grape vines in John 15:1-4:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”