Lessons from my Lawn Mower

Growing up in Florida meant that we had a pool. And growing up without any brothers meant that my sister and I had to tackle outdoor chores when my dad was out of town. Unfortunately, we couldn’t pawn off the sweaty jobs to a guy! My sister often had to vacuum the pool and I was usually the one who cut the lawn. There’s no telling how many sprinkler heads my dad had to repair due to my inexperience, but I eventually got the hang of it. In fact, I actually grew to like this particular chore. I liked making straight lines in the grass.Fast forward to the early years of our marriage. Chris would often cut the lawn, but when we started our family, I became very interested in making straight lines again. After a full day at home with two small children, the last thing I wanted was for Chris to come home and go straight back outside to cut the yard, while I was left indoors. I remember asking him if I could please be the one outside pushing the lawn mower and he could have a turn inside with our little rug rats!Now the rug rats are teenagers. Our son, Mark, frequently cuts the grass for us. Last week, however, his free time and my need for the lawn to be cut did not coincide, and so I found myself back behind the mower. Like riding a bike, I felt like I hadn’t missed a summer. The Honda mower (that we have had for over twelve years – Go Honda!) started on the first pull.Everything went fine for the first half of the yard, but as I approached an area of the lawn that was slightly thicker, I noticed that the mower would begin to sputter. I found myself navigating patterns that would avoid the thicker section as much as possible, but eventually I had to push the mower through those tougher sections. On four different occasions, the mower just stopped in its tracks. The bag wasn’t full and the gas tank wasn’t too empty. In my novice opinion, the grass was just too thick for the blade to tackle. Each time, I would wait a few moments and then start up the little happy Honda.In that sweaty moment, it occurred to me that if I had just cut the grass a few days earlier, this would not have been a problem. I waited until the simple task became a headache. The same is true in our personal lives. There are all sorts of things we just put off or avoid. Little things that, when left unchecked, bring our motor to a grinding halt.Maybe you’re keeping a record of wrongs? Is there someone you need to forgive now instead of later? Later might leave you like my little Honda: overwhelmed and unable to push through. Is there a bad habit that you keep delaying in breaking? Eating bad is no big deal now. Being undisciplined in your money hasn’t caught up with you yet. Hanging out with the wrong crowd hasn’t cost you too much… yet.There will never be a day easier than today to do what is right. I dare you… tackle that area that you have avoided and keep yourself moving forward. twitter | facebook