Start, Will ‘Ya!

I am lawn mower poor. I have two working zero turn lawn mowers down on my little farm. I have two push mowers that I used last year, and a couple that I have abandoned figuring they are never going to run again. I even have one of those huge DR Field Mowers. Lawn mower poor, I tell you. Did I mention my brush hog and my “finish” mower?

At my “city home” I have two push type lawn mowers. I mowed with them all of last year. I mowed two weeks ago with one of them, and got mostly finished before it stopped running and would not re-start. I tried the other one, but it would not start. Well, now, with all the rain my  yard is “shoulder deep.”  I brought my almost new push mower to the city from the farm so I could mow, and over the last two days tried over and over to get it started. Nope. Nothing doing. So, today, I borrowed a lawn mower. It is almost new. “Works fine,” according to the owner. After over half an hour of working at it and on it, I have not  been able to get it started. I am giving up. In the morning I will load up four mowers and head for the “fix it” shop. I will head back to the farm before they even look at them I imagine. Meanwhile, I expect  that citations for “tall grass and weeds” will be waiting on my door when I return to my city home next week. I am thinking maybe God wants me to leave this grass alone. . .or maybe he is just testing my “lawn mower faith.” In which case, I have failed.

Naturally it reminds me of the Church of Jesus Christ. I have not yet found a way to get some people “started.” They won’t be consistent in attendance. They won’t study the Scripture and learn how to live. They won’t practice the discipline of llove toward others in the Family of God. They just can’t be counted on the do the “work of the ministry” even though they know they ought to be about it. I have to assume they haven’t started praying “without ceasing” or “utilizing a quiet time” with the Father for maximizing their daily walk.  On the other hand, some are pretty good at starting gossip. If only that would help!

You are probably thinking those folks just need a better “mechanic.” Could be. But then they probably still won’t get “started” till they get regular in the “shop.”