Daily Wisdom 04-11-2003 The Grass Is Always Greener?

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The Grass Is Always Greener?

I was so excited when I found out our new house would have a mudroom. It took on new meaning as we tried to get our lawn started. For the seed to germinate, the sprinklers had to be going almost non-stop. That, however, makes the lawn a massive mud pit. Every time my husband went out to move the sprinklers, he sunk into the "lawn" to near ankle-level. I wonder how many shoes he lost? I could usually tell when he was coming in by that "schlur-urp" sound he made when he pulled his feet out of the pit. More than once he came through the mudroom looking like something from "It Came from Sludge Lagoon."

I was disturbed that my mudroom was evidently confused as to its purpose. All that mud was supposed to stay only in the mudroom, right? Isn't that how it got its name? So why was I finding sludge all over my new carpet?

As for growing the grass, I think childbirth was easier. As a matter of fact, at the first sign of baby grass, my husband did everything just short of passing out candy cigars. I have to admit, I was thrilled too. Not so much because I have any kind of decent concern about the grass. I was rejoicing because I had the promise of a mudroom at least semi-sludge-free.

My husbands rejoicing was definitely different from mine. It was more of a Psalm 147:4-8 kind of rejoicing: "Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills." As you might imagine, the neighbors did gawk a bit as he played his harp to the Lord who makes the grass grow. That's OK. We had to find a way to break in our new neighbors anyway.

Seeding, however, was not all there was to grass-growing. We seeded. Then reseeded. Then re-reseeded. We're planning to re-re-reseed soon. I'm sure the birds will congregate at our place once again with their little bibs and trays. They're thinking we're setting out yet another birdie buffet. There goes the seed.

And since we're talking about perishable seed, I have to mention that the Bible does, too. Spiritually speaking, there is a perishable seed and an imperishable seed. First Peter 1:23-25 says, "For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, 'All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.'"

God tells me in his Word that I've been born again from that imperishable kind of seed. It's dependable--unlike that wimpy, withering grass seed that's here today, bird-food tomorrow. His promise is living and enduring.

Not the lawn. Like the glory of man, I'm afraid its still pretty wimpy. Thats OK. I don't have time to spend on it anyway--now that I have to regularly mow the mudroom.

Contributed by Rhonda Rhearrhea@juno.comRhonda Rhea writes for dozens of great Christian publications and speaks at conferences and events across the country. You can find her new book, Amusing Grace, at your local Christian bookstore. Rhonda's husband, Richie Rhea, is a pastor in Troy, Missouri. You can reach them through her Web site atwww.rhondarhea.net