Gardening is one of my passions. I can get lost in my own world.I can think and meditate while I am mowing, trimming hedges, pulling weeds or just cutting and pruning my roses. Last year my daughters and I had a nice butterfly garden. I would not call my yard and garden a paradise but when I am finished it looks well manicured. I like for the drive to be edged so the grass looks like a curb. I am one of those guys that if you don't weed eat and blow the driveway then you haven't mowed. I mow in one direction with a self propelled walk behind mower. Everything has to be just right when I get done. I like to look at the lines that the mower has made across the fresh cut grass.
This brings me to the point of mowing a straight line. My lot is on the end of a cul desac. So guess what? I have a triangular lot. BAD IDEA. I have a fence across the middle separating the front and back. I have always tried to mow a straight line between my yard and my neighbors. As I get to the fence and look back to the street there is normally a curve that looks like a bad golf slice. It frustrates me to no end. Sounds silly but I told you I like a straight line. I have to go back and try to fix it. Today as I was getting prepared to start the cut between our yards it was a little high from the recent rain. I thought to myself today I can't cut a golf slice because it will be very noticeable. So I started at the street and I kept my eye on the fence post and mowed toward it. I never took my eyes off the the post. When I got to the fence and looked back toward the street I had mowed an almost perfect straight line.
As I look back at my life I am reminded of the many curves that has happened in it.. I was aimlessly wondering along not focusing on anything. The curves were being thrown at me. Today as I was focusing at the post the thoughts began to roll in my head. We must continually be focused on Jesus Christ our redeemer! When we look back down the road of our lives we will have some curves but when we look ahead we will be on the Straight Path.
Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
My message is this
1.Stay Focused
2.Press On
3.Hold On
4.Only look back at your mistakes to improve
5.Strive for perfection Hebrews 6:1
6.Don't beat yourself up for past failures and mistakes
2 comments:
Good message.
I used to think about my favorite songs as I mowed, especially when I was on the riding mower. I enjoyed looking at the "lines in the grass" as well. I also like a sharply blocked "edge".
Maybe you could start a training course on mowing straight lines for all the mowers in the world. It could be called "10 Steps to STRAIGHTness". HA!! :)
Great blog about keeping focused. I lose focus too often but I'm learning to just move on like the Apostle Paul said, "forget what's behind and press towards the mark". Or in the Tim Pate version, "Keep your eyes on the post and foget about the golf slices in your past".
Very encouraging!
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