Thought for the Week
We’d bought our first house with a yard, and I was excited about mowing! I got over that quick. Still, if ya got grass, ya gotta mow, and that means: 1) You have to cut it often (before, say, eagles build nests in it) and, 2) You have to cut it straight.
⇐ The first few times I mowed, it looked like this. I finally figured out I needed to maintain a straight line. But how?
Years before, I’d asked a ballerina-girlfriend how she kept from losing her balance every time she did those amazing turns. “Spotting,” she replied. Dancers pick something to focus on, spotting it again each time they come around. This keeps them from flying out of control and throwing-up on their nicely dressed opening night audience.
Spotting.
Hey, it was worth a try. I began looking at shadows on the grass and in the bushes at the edge of the yard. The result was, well, not as bad as the zero-technique approach. But pretty bad, nevertheless. The problem was that the shadows were constantly shifting. So I tried following my own feet.
Yeah, that was a disaster.
Then I tried focusing on permanent things. Things like trees and window shutters. Result? Straight, beautiful lines! I even managed to create some pretty patterns. Then one day while I was mowing, it occurred to me:
What trees were to mowing, God’s word was to my life. Before entering a life of faith, I’d lived by focusing on either: 1) the constantly changing light and shadows of modern culture or, 2) Myself.
Yeah, that was a disaster.
God’s word (illuminated by his Spirit dwelling in me) became my Tree, my permanent, unchanging focal point. And this has produced a consistency, a purpose, yes, even a beauty that I would never have dreamed possible. If the old atheist>agnostic>seeker me could see the direction my life has taken since I learned to “spot,” he’d be…well, he’d be a bit confused because he wouldn’t know what I know (or rather Who I know). But I think he’d be excited, nevertheless. More excited than he (or I) will ever be…
About mowing.
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” ~Isaiah 40:8
Keep up the good work, stay focused while you are working and above all else, looking at the goal make zero turns from that goal.
Keep sowing abundance in your heart 🙏
Our sweet Lord. “…His mercy endureth forever.” Ps. 136-1b (KJV).
We’re cutting grass on our tiny patch of land less often. Hoping you have and we soon get enough rain. God bless, Mitch! Happy mowing!
Thanks, Nancy, you too!
I’d say there’s no hard and fast rule, …and whatever the resulting lines, …um, …just say you meant it to be that way, …self expression-ism ,….✨😉✨
Our spiritual walk and lawns both need weed and feed. And keeping our eyes on the immovable works well for both, as well. Nifty post.
Weed and feed indeed. Thanks, Pam!
Great post, Mitch. Keep mowing forward and keep your focus where it should be.
Yep. Thanks, Kellye.
This is a beautiful post, dear brother Mitch. I can so relate to the change in focus changing everything about your life.
I know you can, sis.
Excellent post – was not expecting that. Well done.
Thanks, AJ.
This is such an amazing lawn. . We have a small yard our area.Anita
Your Tree has been dropping an abundance of seeds. Hopefully, they’ll grow!
Hopefully so, Nancy, and thank you.
Yes I have done lots of mowing in my landscaping career and spotting is exactly the way to go. Finding an unmoving landmark helps our lawns ( and life) to look a bit more like the outfield at Yankee stadium than racecourse at Le Mans.
I cheat! I have artificial grass, the kind that never needs water and never needs mowing.
;>)
I’m jealous!
Love this allegory, Mitch! I’ve seen photos of lawns mowed in creative ways–checkerboard patterns, concentric circles, geometric designs, etc. God does the same in our lives. As we focus on him and follow his plan, we find our lives turning into something beautiful, where peace, joy, and contentment can flourish.
True indeed, Nancy.
God’s words is my permanent unchanging point too and all my tendency to zigzag stays minimised if my focus is on him.
Mowing your lawn is an art. Hank Hill of King of The Hill was an expert. I sometimes mow my small patch at a 45 degree angle, then go over it again at a different angle. I use an electric mower, so I never run out of fuel, unless it kicks the breaker. I have gravel and rocks for landscape, the grass was for my little dog that passed a year ago.
A perfect plan, Phil. And belated condolences on the loss of your canine friend and family member.
Appreciate that.
Great analogy!
Thank you, Kara!
Good advice, Mitch – for your lawn and yourself.
I hope following your feet wasn’t TOO much of a disaster. One of the joys of teaching middle school is the wacky things coming from kids with no filter. One day a student took off his sock and proudly showed me the foot he had run over with the lawnmower – minus two toes. :/
Whoa! No, I may have looked down at my feet, but I kept them clear of the mower.
Great Wisdom Words Mitch 🖼️
Thank you, Ramani.
Hey there, Mitch. Have you ever wondered why anyone would want to smoke grass after having to mow it all day. Go figure. Jerry
;>)
Wish I had a picture of my lawn back when I was mowing it. My neighbors wondered what had happened when I started at the center and went round in concentric circles until I had to “touch up” the edges to make it look like the circles continued. Straight lines are for robots! 😂
❤️&🙏, c.a.
Maybe so, C.A., but they’re probably easier to execute than those concentric circles!
Great analogy! It’s easy to get sidetracked, yet it’s harder to stay focused on what lies ahead.
Hi Mitch, great post and one that I have been ‘sitting on’ for the last 6 weeks. At first glance, I was thinking this was a helpful hint on how to mow my lawn properly, but then I read it again and again, to find a deeper meaning spiritually. Focussing on our own ‘tree path’ will guide us through our lives, rather than following other people’s routes. Am I interpreting this correctly? Cheers
Definitely on the right track, Steve.
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