Life’s lawn

There's a house on my running route that recently burned. Once the investigations are complete, I'm sure it will be torn down and rebuilt. But what caught my eye today was the lawn. It hasn't been mowed since the fire. And the weed growth is impressive (I'm sure the neighbors would choose a different word).

What we call 'weeds' are really just native plants. It's the grass that's foreign. But we tend to think the grass belongs and wonder where all the weeds come from.

Life is like a lawn. Left untended, worldly things just shoot up. We don't have to wonder where they come from. They're native. And the surrounding environment suits them perfectly. By contrast, Kingdom things are imported. They require attention, care, hard work.

Lawn Care Tip: Landscapers tell us the best way to control weeds is to maintain healthy grass.

A mental mission trip

Several years ago our family spent a month in Belarus. There we befriended a couple who went to church but didn't know Jesus. Over several meals we enjoyed each other's company and conversation. Then came their questions—and we were able to share glimpses of the beauty of Jesus and his kingdom. We later learned this couple traded everything they had (including their wedding bands, which were later returned) to enroll in a discipleship training school.

For the most part, missionary life is normal life in an unfamiliar culture. Imagine yourself going to a foreign land. There you study the culture, compare and contrast it with God's kingdom, embrace what you can, make friends, and live life with people. You pray and you watch for opportunities to share. This makes you a missionary.

Now come back home. How can you do these same things here?

Trust the gauges

Today we will celebrate the life of a man in our church. His death seemed so sudden and untimely. Those of us who knew him well are disoriented—trying to imagine days ahead without him.

It's like a pilot flying in darkness and dense fog. Which way is up? In pain and confusion we could easily lose our bearings and crash. But though we can't see past our windshield, we can see our gauges. Right now they're more than just indicators; they're the way to the Way—the way to life and safety.