Dear Rose Park,
Admittedly, I would not describe myself as “handy.” I’ve grown in my skills and knowledge when it comes to projects and plans, but it certainly doesn’t come natural. For example, during the height of the pandemic I was able to watch enough YouTube videos and read enough articles to build a table for our backyard and a bench for our entryway. I feel a bit more confident when it comes to power-tools and wood, but the projects and maintenance of the lawn still evade me.
I enjoy mowing the lawn and I’m quite confident in my ability to turn on the sprinklers, but I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to the science of the lawn. To be honest, I don’t really desire to know either. Does it need more fertilizer or top soil? What kind of grass seed is best for my lawn? Am I watering too much or not enough? Are the sprinklers set for the ideal time of day? Is my lawn just too sandy to have a healthy, green, and lush lawn? I’m envious of my neighbors and these are the kinds of questions that run through my mind as I pull into the driveway to see my fried grass (except of course the green circles marking the locations of the sprinkler-heads).
It reminds me of the prophet Isaiah’s words: The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God endures forever. (As a quick aside, I’ve seen this verse plucked out and used to argue and promote a literal interpretation of scripture; this isn’t the most helpful or faithful interpretation of this verse, but that’s for another letter and another day) Quite literally, the grass in my lawn is withering and fading. However, when I view this verse with a sense of biblical imagination, I wonder if we are emotionally or spiritually feeling withered and faded? Maybe it’s because of a broken relationship or a conversation that’s being avoided. Maybe it’s because this season is requiring more patience or even action. I’d imagine we’ve all experienced a sense of withering or fading throughout our lives, but this verse points us to the faithfulness of God.
God remains faithful whether we are green and lush or whether we are burnt and dried out. Our strength and health won’t come from our own efforts or cleverness, instead God’s faithfulness will be our source of living water (in fact, God can even use our withering seasons to glorify His Kingdom). This is all to say, our season of withering and fading pales in comparison to the faithfulness of God. He will see us through. He will be our strength. He will be our hope…and I have much more hope in Him than I do in my lawn.
Grace & Peace,
