Yard Work! Don't You Just Love It!

It’s been a really fun morning.  Connie and I spent some time out in the yard getting it ready for spring and summer.  We’ve got a good bit to go but we are really excited about it.  I must admit, I used to hate yard work but my desire has changed!  I know, that sounds a little crazy but let me explain.  You see, we haven’t had a yard to work in for 8 years!  Since February of 02 we’ve lived in apartments (one of which was the church parsonage).  We recently moved into a house!  We are so excited!  I can have a big ole dog if I want to!  Or we can have a cat…or both!  And we have a good size yard that needs a lot of work because the house was vacant for more than a year.  But…that’s just what we wanted!

It’s also a great time of year.  It’s been very cold here in the south, and we’ve had our share of rain, sleet, ice and snow this season.  But it’s all coming to an end!  The flowers are popping up all over, the tulip trees are blooming, and the leaves are beginning to peek out.  It’s a very special time of the year.  Spring in the south is extremely nice.  It’s that heavenly period between the cold of winter and the oppressive heat of the southern summer. 

Back to the yard.  Another reason we love yard work is that it is a form of restoration and preparation:  It just feels good to restore and prepare.  It is restoration from the winter, fallen leaves, and limbs.  It is also obviously a form of preparation.  This morning I was raking leaves and pine straw in preparation for the grass underneath to grow.  We picked up sticks that had fallen in order to prepare the way for the lawn mower a little later in the spring. 

I don’t mean to imply that you and I are just old, covered over yards!  But in a sense, this is just what Jesus does for us!  Obviously He restores our soul.  (Psalm 23).  And He prepares us for the future.  Not only the future in this life, but in our heavenly life.  I know sometimes (If you’re like me) you may feel like an abandoned yard that hasn’t been tended to for some time.  Or sometimes (again like me) you may feel the pains of God lovingly preparing you for the next level!  Bottom line is that God loves you and me so much that He will meet us right where we are…but He never leaves us there.  According to Jeremiah, He has an incredible future for you and me, filled with hope that never disappoints! 

The truth is…I can’t wait until the next time we get back out in the yard.  It really feels good to restore and prepare!  Now where’s that Icy Hot muscle helper stuff..?