I was mowing the lawn at my home this weekend and it hit me. I must be a real cheapskate when it comes to investing in our own lawn. This trait must come from my dad since he has been known to say on many occasions that, “I would rather concrete every inch of the yard then have to waste my time mowing it.” I hate to say that I think I may agree with that statement. As I began my arduous journey atop our ever-so-temperamental riding lawn mower, I began to ponder the yard work over the years.
First of all, I must mention that when our family was in our previous home that sat on two acres of land, we only had a self-propelled push mower when we first moved in. Yeah, we talked about getting a fancy riding lawnmower, but after going to the store to price one we got sticker shock. After recovering from that frightful experience, we thought we would wait it out a while and buy one some other time. Well, our neighbors seemed to disagree with that decision and they thought the daunting task of mowing that acreage was just too much for us. A few weeks later they graciously donated one of their used riding lawn mowers to us without any warning. It was the sweetest thing and we were so appreciative, although they didn’t realize that their thoughtful actions co-dependently enabled my frugality in lawn care.
After using it for a while it started to need some loving attention. A few engine cleanings and overhauls later, courtesy of the king of lawn thriftiness (my dad), you can now fast forward some years to our current abode. You must also realize that when we moved into our new home last fall it took the entire crew of professional movers to get this riding mower out of the truck and into the garage. I think she did not appreciate being left alone in the garage of the old house for so long. When I saw it again on the moving truck she had multiple flat tires, dead battery, fuel leak, you name it, she was screaming for attention, or at least to be retired from yard work altogether. It was actually quite a comical site and we all laughed when we had to put a furniture dolly under the rear wheels in order to move the thing, insert your favorite redneck joke here please.
Then of course after I fixed all the critical issues and got it running, band-aids and all, our son clips the concrete (isn’t that ironic) walkway so hard that it severely bent one of the blades and instantly turning it into a riding rototiller. Of course then I have to raise this thing high enough off of the ground ( in our sloping driveway) to gain access to the blade to repair it. I won’t even go into any detail on how difficult it was to try to remove a blade that must have been fused to the deck of this mower seemingly from the beginning of time. The good news is that I changed the blade and she is cutting grass again. We no longer have to worry if our neighbors will lodge a formal complaint with the city.
What can we all learn about this? For starters, if you ever come by our house please don’t judge me by my lawn, it just isn’t my priority. I’m not saying to be neglectful of important things, because even I should do a better job with our lawn, just remember to keep the appropriate priority. What is my priority? It is my God, my wife, and my children. Everything else comes after that. How do I know these are my priorities? I use the bible as my guide and here is just one of the scriptures that I take to heart.
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
My favorite part of that scripture is verse 21. I think it could also be said another way, “If you want to know where your heart is, then look in your checkbook.” O.K. I get it, most of us do online banking. So fine, look there, but you get my point. What are you spending your treasure on? I mean really look at those entries within your finances and see what you are investing in. I may not be investing much in my lawn, but I can tell you this. I’m not perfect, but I am investing in my God, my marriage, and my family. After all that, I even have enough to invest in ministry and serving others and it isn’t just money I am investing in, it is also my time.
We all seem to invest in so many frivolous things these days (ie. lattes, music, snacks, latest trends), but many of us (including our churches) just don’t invest in marriage like we should. I’m sure you can say that you are investing your time and money in several great areas, but that is not what I am saying. What I am asking is, are you investing in your marriage and are you making it a priority? I hope everyone answers yes to that, but if you didn’t you need to start investing today! How can you do that? Prioritize your time and look for places to invest.
Go to a marriage conference or if you need counseling set an appointment right away. If you are looking for a great marriage conference, every fall NAME hosts the International Marriage Conference in Phoenix, AZ. They also can direct you to a free local marriage counseling center in many areas across the USA and around the world. Find a marriage retreat or have a “stay-cation” where you invest that time and money on one another. It is never too late to do the right thing for your marriage. If you or your church wants to invest in marriage and would like some ideas to get started, contact us. We would be glad to help guide you in this area. Just remember, the alternative is that if you don’t invest in your marriage it may fall into disrepair. Don’t be a marriage cheapskate otherwise you may end up like my riding lawn mower.
Scriptures for Meditation
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.