I am currently experiencing a low water pressure situation with my lawn sprinkler system. As a result, my back yard has gone through a drought. Where there used to be a lawn is now pretty much dirt.
I did not address the issue right away, but am wondering why I am paying a gardener to “maintain” the back yard, which really is not much more than a dirt lot…with some thorny bushes that should be roses.
Apparently the gardener must have wondered the same thing, because the last time he was here, he turned on the sprinklers and watered the dirt…I mean lawn. Now I am confessing this not because I am proud, because I am not. I took his cue and decided to begin watering the lawn myself in order to restore it.
Now, my back yard is not easily seen. You pretty much have to be in it to see it, or at best, deep in my house. And while the front yard is well manicured and kept up to current standards of “curb appeal”, the back yard, the “hidden area”, has fallen into disrepair. The rose bushes in the front bloom spectacularly on a regular basis.
I was disappointed after a week of watering, not to see green grass and flowers blooming in my back yard. Perhaps my expectations were high, but I know there are seeds and nutrients buried in the lawn, (speaking by faith now) just needing water to spring forth. The roses are excused, because I know they have their own “season”.
Have you ever fed or watered something and then wondered why it wouldn’t grow? Some things, after suffering through a drought, need more than just water to grow again, most of all, they need time. I mean my lawn didn’t disappear overnight or even in a season, yet I expected it to bounce back right away.
I guess I have some other things that are in my spiritual back yard that have gone through a drought. I am watering, and feeding, and impatiently (being honest) waiting for them to grow back. It seems I am willing to give them everything they need but time. Some of my behaviors and attitudes, perspectives and wounds, are going to take time. I know godly seeds are in me, so when will I see some fruit?
How is your back yard looking these days? Are you keeping people away from your “house” because you don’t want them to discover you are going through a drought? Are you satisfied with having spiritual curb appeal, and a dirt lot that is hidden from view? Are you going to make the effort, pay the price, give the time, to allow the seeds of hope, the nutrients of love, the flowers of joy, to spring forth in full restoration in your life?
God our Father is our gardener. He may need to pull some weeds, dig up some dirt, plant new seeds, water, and nurture for a season…but He is ready to rain on our drought. Let Him rain! Let Him reign.
He is living water and can pour life back into our thirsty lawns (souls). Let Him rain!
Everyday God... 