Friday, May 8, 2009

Brown Spots On My Lawn


So many of you share my love of gardening, from growing flowers to maintaining the yards of our homes with nice, beautiful, green lawns, if we can.

While I was out watering my lawn, I noticed that there were spots on it, that the sprinklers have a tendency of missing. So I take out the hose and water. I wait about 30 seconds and water all around those areas that are brown. I was also thinking about what I should blog about next.

That’s when God spoke to my heart.

He asked me if I knew why those spots are brown.

In my over confidence, I said, Um, sure, the sprinkler isn’t watering very well and these are missed areas.

Know where I am going with this one?

God asked me if I was sure it was really lack of water or could it be something else. I felt His probing in asking what else cause brown spots.

Here is the answer I gave Him. Well it could be dog urine, grubs under the lawn or some other type of lawn pest, heat, not fertilizing it enough or even over watering.

Then God asked me, how I could apply those same symptoms to the Christian walk when things aren’t going so well. So I took them in the order I gave them to God.

Not getting enough water – Well that just goes without saying that if we stay away from church or God’s word long enough, we run dry. We start to conform and become like those in the world that are without Christ. Water is vital to all living things; much like God’s word is vital to the Christian walk. Without it, we are way out of balance.

Dog Urine – This is the example of when something is done to us, and we keep dwelling on it over and over. It eats away at us, little by little, until we finally blow up at the first person that comes along. We need to rinse it off, by giving it up to God in prayer to deal with, and not think about it any longer. We gave it to God, let it go. Don’t try and take it back to deal with on your own.

Grubs or other pests in your lawn – Temptation on a daily basis for Christians can make us weak over time, if we don’t do what is vital to keep our thoughts right with God. All temptations start with a thought, and it gets fed over and over until we often justify that it’s OK to do it. The problem is the longer we let it go, the worse the problem becomes. Like grubs and other lawn pest, we need the ultimate insecticide, let’s call it the Bible for us Christians. Plus its green friendly and organically safe. No animals were harmed in the reading of the Bible. Get yours today!

Heat – When stress and other pressures build up on us, we break. Just like the green lawn can only take extreme temperatures for brief periods, we too are like that. We can only take so much before we have to give it to God. God didn’t design us to bear the burden of the world alone. He meant to share the things that can be too heavy. God is always willing to shoulder the heavier burdens for us, leaving us the lighter ones. Rest in God’s green pasture.

Fertilizer – We all need food to survive. In the Christian world, this comes not only in reading God’s word, but also in prayer and in fellowship with others. We become better people and feel a lot happier after being in the presence of God at church and through Bible studies. Get involved if you aren’t feeling especially spiritual lately and see what it can do for you.

Over Watering – I know some Christians are so involved with church, fellowships, Bible Studies, church functions, prayer vigils and personal time reading the Bible, that they forget the needy around them. If we don’t take time to care for others that are in desperate need of God’s living water, we are simply being greedy and wasting the precious resource God gave us.

I pray that if your walk is weak, see if those ‘brown spots’ in your spiritual life, aren’t related to they symptoms above. If they are, be assured it’s a simple fix if you’re willing to treat them. The quicker the better to a more beautiful, green, lush lawn in your Christian walk.

12 comments:

RCUBEs said...

Amen! Isn't it neat when our Daddy starts speaking to our hearts?
Everything you wrote about are good points! Glory to God!
If I may add, I see some roots wilting until that spot in our lawn turns brown. We must all really be "deeply rooted in God's love" in order for us to thrive in our spiritual lawns. Sorry, I didn't feel like drinking a cup of joe this morn, coz it's already hot!!! :)
God bless sister Kat!

Heart2Heart said...

Rosel,

Too true! I didn't see that one, and I guess that is why God sends along special people in my life to see the things I may not.

I am right there with you with the coffee this morning, only having one cup as temps hit almost 100 again today.

Love and Hugs ~ Kat

Andrea said...

Amen to both Kat and Rosel!! Seems I really needed this one today.

Kat, Thanks for your encouraging words on my blog. My parents actually married and stayed married until I was 22 yrs old. However, they were kids trying to raise kids....our grandparents were ALWAYS the foundation for us. Thank GOD for his provision in our lives and many others.
andrea

Jennifer said...

Amen, Kat! That is a very powerful post!

I love how God speaks to us through everyday things in our lives...when we are willing to listen.

I am guilty of having a few brown spots myself lately and I was talking to God about it just today.

Thanks for a very powerful challenge and words of wisdom.

Love you!

Have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Leslie said...

Ooo, I love this! Especially the part about over watering. This can happen to me since my actual job is in ministry! I can get caught in the trap of thinking, "My job is how I minister to others and do God's work so why do I need to get involved in "such and such" too?"

Have a beautiful Mother's Day!

Laurie said...

Wow sister! This is such a rich post. I will go back and read it again and meditate on it more. It is straight from the Lord's heart. I am always excited to find out what I will read on your blog. And, I love how God speaks to us through what's around us. I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day my friend. Love and blessings, Laurie

Anonymous said...

This was great and timely for me! Believe it or not I was having that same kind of converation with God as I stood over a brown patch on my front lawn four days ago! Except I knew it was grubs because i could see them...eating at the root, weakening the grass, turning it brown and loosening its grip and thus the flow of nutrients. I too turned my thoughts to God and how these things could relate to spritual life. But you took the analogy much further and gave it deeper thought. I like the way you explored all the possibilities! The "over watering" point was very good and I think a good portion of the church on America is suffering from that!

Thank you for making me think harder...

Prairie Girl said...

Thank you so much for this post. It was a loving reminder to examine the spots in my life that are in need of more healthy growth. And sadly, there are many!

Thank you for allowing God to speak through your blog. He used it to speak directly to areas in my life that I have knowingly allowed to grow brown.

Bless you!

Billy Coffey said...

Wow, that's so true!

Amazing, isn't it, how God often speaks to us in the yard?

Great post, Kat!

christy rose said...

Kat,

This was so rich in spiritual nourisment. It could definitely preach. I think I will copy and print. :) Absolutely insightful!

Christy

LisaShaw said...

What a message!!! Praise the LORD!

I came by to wish you a beautiful Mother's Day and got this treat!!

I am always encouraged and in awe of what God uses to speak to our hearts!

Love you!

Yolanda said...

God's visuals are so encouraging as we continue seeking HIM. I believe it is favor, Him pouring Himself once more into you and I (US).

Love to you Kat!