Blades of Grass

Yesterday I saw something that was pretty average and ordinary, but what I knew about it made it beautiful.

There is a fenced patio/garden off of the master bedroom in this house. It's one of those things that probably once upon a time was quite nice. But years and neglect have taken their toll, leaving it looking run down. A week or so ago, Doug and I began discussing moving some things off of our back patio into this enclosed area. The kids would then have more space to play, and it would be easier to keep the back patio swept clean.

As we contemplated exactly where we wanted to put everything, the kids started traipsing into the little area from the backyard. Knowing there were dips, holes, and uneven areas underneath the leaves, I grabbed a rake thinking I would quickly rake up the leaves to expose the uneven earth so the kids wouldn't trip and hurt themselves. I soon discovered, however, that it wasn't going to be a quick job! The layers of leaves were so very deep, revealing multiple seasons of build-up and neglect. I raked and Doug used the leaf blower and we worked for quite some time getting the leaves out of that little area. When all was said and done, we had an absolutely enormous pile of leaves to burn.

The garden area didn't look any less run down, but it did look much neater. And I figured that the little patches of monkey grass scattered here and there might grow and spread a little easier without the leaves blocked the sun.

That was nearly two weeks ago. Yesterday I was opening the shades in the girls' room. One of their windows looks out over that little garden, and I happened to notice something as I almost unconsciously looked out the window. One solitary blade of monkey grass had sprouted up in a section of garden where I truly didn't expect anything to grow! It stood there alone but proud, reaching toward the sky as if reveling in the victory of growth.

The sight made me smile. I'd had a part in that growth! I'd been able to clear away the piles of dead leaves blocking the growth. It wasn't an easy job, and it took a lot longer to do than I'd expected. But, seeing that blade grow was definitely worth it all. When I looked out today, two more blades had joined it, and I have a feeling that whole strip of earth will soon be covered with monkey grass.

God is working on the gardens of our lives in much the same way. He is raking away the things in our lives that block the growth. Sometimes it's a gentle blowing to move a light layer of leaves. Other times it's not quite so light. Sometimes it hurts when His rake hits our flesh and pulls away at the stubborn leaves that don't want to be moved. We must be tended if we are to grow.

The growth may seem small and slow at first, but before we know it we will have grown so incredibly, and through it we will be that much closer to beautiful perfection in Christ!