The Grass Won't Water Itself

I'm often reminded of this phrase each time I cross my lawn. Growing up I didn't really do much watering since we had sprinklers that did the work for us. Occasionally, the sprinklers wouldn't reach a certain part of the grass and that part was taken care of by my mom or dad who would spend time deliberately watering the dry area.

At my current residence I don't have sprinkler per se, but I have one of those "above-ground-wet-your-car-and-not-really-water-all-that-well" sprinklers. It wouldn't be so bad if, when the timer shut off, the water pressure wouldn't cause the faucet to leak a ridiculous amount of water thus causing the bill to rise to an equally ridiculous amount. So...I have to water it manually. I despise this process since it takes time to spend each day, or every other, to deliberately do that which most homes and most people don't think twice about it as their timers take care of everything. Needless to say, my grass isn't the greenest....as a matter of fact, it's not even the yellowest. All that being said I am, without explanation, thankful for the rain. The rain does that which I'm usually too lazy (or forgetful) to do. I'm always amazed how green the grass becomes after the rain and I think to myself, "Wow! Water really does help!"

I was reading Isaiah 55 because my wife mentioned it the other day to me and so I decided to spend some time in my namesake (not really, but I like to pretend it is). Verse 8 and 9 are probably familiar to most people who have been around church, but it was the following verses that caught my attention.

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55:10-11

After reading this, I was reminded how often my good intentions fail. I intend every time I cross my lawn to water it so that it will be green and grow (and so that my landlords don't get upset). Like the rain and snow, the earth cannot help but be nourished by it. My lawn can't help but be rejuvenated and filled with vibrant life and newness the water brings.

There are many thoughts and parallels that I could probably use for my life, but in a time where I'm trying to be more patient and trying to figure all that God is doing around me, there's a better understanding the previous verses now bring.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9

I don't have it all together. There, I've said it. I'm not always responsible (observed by my yellow lawn). Half of the time I'm not even sure I'm doing the right thing. These verses don't excuse irresponsibility, but rather remind me of how important it is to be deliberate about taking care of that which I can, and letting God do the rest (which is most of it anyway). I can water that lawn all I want, but ultimately it's God who makes it grow. It's humbling to know He's way smarter than I'll ever be, but equally humbling that He would use someone as messed up as me.

I Hate Complaining

When I realized that things in which we despise in others are rather apparent in our own lives, I began to see my life from a different perspective. It seems like we have a complaint for everything. Usually accompanying those complaints are solutions that would only cause more complaints or just simply a lack of solution all together. Most of us despise complainers. When someone complains about how we did something, or how we like something, or criticizes our effort, or has issue with our motive, we become rather offended. No one enjoys it when someone complains. Employers don't like when employees do it, parents are embarrassed and frustrated when their children do it, and spouses....well...let's just say aren't excited when they here another whining voice in their home.

I'll admit that I complain......a lot. I don't know why I did it growing up, but I know it's why I do it now as an adult. I've gotten much better at avoiding it, but every once in a while it creeps back into my life. As I thought about why I complain, I began to think about how it originates in our minds. My understanding is that an occurrence happens to our disliking, which then triggers a reaction that results in a verbal disapproval and demanding of some sort of entitlement to which we believe we deserve. So, basically....Complaining = Sense of Entitlement.

As I wrestled with this concept, it became clear to me that my upbringing, my culture, my country, and my generation as a whole believes that we are entitled to certain things. Living in this country, we believe that we are entitled to freedom, liberty and justice. I would take it one step further and say that we believe that we are entitled to happiness as well. Due to this sense of happiness entitlement, we think that we get to have it our way and when it isn't, we issue the complaint. But this isn't only true of our country or even this generation (as some older folk would argue). I believe it has been an issue for a very, very long time.

Whether you subscribe to belief in the Bible, you cannot deny it as a historical document. God's chosen people, the Israelites, were led out of slavery in Egypt and into the desert and ultimately into freedom. God brought this nation out of an oppressive state and into true freedom. God provided shelter, He provided food or manna (which is also a necessity for you W.O.W. nerds), and He provided guidance and leadership so long as they trusted God's appointed. They were given all of these things yet they still complained. So much so that some complained that they wanted to go back to slavery, back to oppression, back to their rut. Why? Because at the root of our selfish ways is this sense of entitlement - that we deserve that which we so desire.

It may seem like a stretch to say that when I complain about which way the toilet paper should roll, or whether or not the laundry finds its way into the hamper, I am engaging in my sense of entitlement. I'm saying to you and to anyone else for that matter that your way is dumb and mine is better. Why is it better? Because it will make ME happy. Why is that better? Because MY happiness trumps everything....even yours.

So, I'm trying to complain less these days (although this is up for debate). I don't want to have this sense of entitlement that I see played out in every part of today's culture. Not because I want to be better or think I'm better, but because it's not a product of a life that is truly grateful or a life that is truly redeemed.

I came across a Frederick Nietzsche quotation the other day that says:
"I might believe in the Redeemer if His followers looked more Redeemed."

I don't subscribe to much of what Neitzsche writes, but this truth could not have been more descriptive of me and my lifestyle. When I scanned the past few weeks I ran out of fingers to count the ways in which I wasn't living a redeemed life, mostly because of the complaints that have piled up. I don't want to feel entitled to that which I know I don't even deserve. I've been given one life to affect as many lives as I possibly can, all for the sake of the One to whom I believe we are all indebted. Not in an obligatory or monetary way (although this could be a possibility), but in a form of utmost gratitude and adoration. When we understand this, I believe those complaints finally began to fade.

I only hope that it continues to fade in mine.