Neglect in the the Garden of Life
It was yesterday
We had just returned from vacation a day prior
I drove out of my driveway
And saw the entire front lawn infected with weeds
Not just some type of weed but several of them
Some spotted bright flowers;
Some were sprawled all over portions of the lawn.
Hedges were untrimmed
And flower beds overgrown with dandelions
With this messy backdrop, the house looked unkempt and neglected.
Spring just set in a few weeks ago after a brutal Chicago winter
Busyness with other tasks took my attention away from the yard
Leaving it to the whims of natural entropy
I drove away unhappy
My mind remembering the wise words of Solomon:
"I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense
And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with nettles,
And its stone wall was broken down.
When I saw, I reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.
“A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
Then your poverty will come as a robber
And your want like an armed man." (Proverbs 24:30-34)
I thought of the hard work last summer and fall
To keep the yard beautiful and beautiful it was.
But left to itself some weeks overdue
What a mess it had become
Understanding that the physical is a mirror to the state of the soul
My mind went beyond the lawns and reflected on life, my life
How important it is that the garden of life be continuously weeded and seeded
How important it is to stay alert and on guard always
To take the mind of past successes
To forget previous attempts at order and beauty
To meet the challenges and demands of today with today's diligence
For when life is left unguarded, even for a few moments
It begins to drift into disorder
Weeds are blown in by the winds of life
They sprout roots as man sleeps in neglect
Spreading their roots and choking the good fruits of life
Oh, the pain of neglect!
Time with the maker shrinks to a few words in the rush hours
Stealthily, the card piles up with debt and interest
The blood coagulates and clots as exercise is eschewed
Joints stiffens, strangers take home in our hallowed body
The kids grow into unwelcome habits on their own
Relationships die like grasses on the lawn
Undernourished by the nutrients of love
And a once ordered life, slips into confusion
I am writing this today,
After several hours in the yard
Weeding, stumping, hedging and mowing
To restore the fading beauty of the house
At last, it began to shine again
And now I sit praying
Lord help me to fulfill your first assignment to man
To tend and guard what you've planted for me
The garden of my life
That it may bring forth precious fruits
That glorifies your name
That neglect will no longer be a habit
In the garden of my life
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB
We had just returned from vacation a day prior
I drove out of my driveway
And saw the entire front lawn infected with weeds
Not just some type of weed but several of them
Some spotted bright flowers;
Some were sprawled all over portions of the lawn.
Hedges were untrimmed
And flower beds overgrown with dandelions
With this messy backdrop, the house looked unkempt and neglected.
Spring just set in a few weeks ago after a brutal Chicago winter
Busyness with other tasks took my attention away from the yard
Leaving it to the whims of natural entropy
I drove away unhappy
My mind remembering the wise words of Solomon:
"I passed by the field of the sluggard
And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense
And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles;
Its surface was covered with nettles,
And its stone wall was broken down.
When I saw, I reflected upon it;
I looked, and received instruction.
“A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest,”
Then your poverty will come as a robber
And your want like an armed man." (Proverbs 24:30-34)
I thought of the hard work last summer and fall
To keep the yard beautiful and beautiful it was.
But left to itself some weeks overdue
What a mess it had become
Understanding that the physical is a mirror to the state of the soul
My mind went beyond the lawns and reflected on life, my life
How important it is that the garden of life be continuously weeded and seeded
How important it is to stay alert and on guard always
To take the mind of past successes
To forget previous attempts at order and beauty
To meet the challenges and demands of today with today's diligence
For when life is left unguarded, even for a few moments
It begins to drift into disorder
Weeds are blown in by the winds of life
They sprout roots as man sleeps in neglect
Spreading their roots and choking the good fruits of life
Oh, the pain of neglect!
Time with the maker shrinks to a few words in the rush hours
Stealthily, the card piles up with debt and interest
The blood coagulates and clots as exercise is eschewed
Joints stiffens, strangers take home in our hallowed body
The kids grow into unwelcome habits on their own
Relationships die like grasses on the lawn
Undernourished by the nutrients of love
And a once ordered life, slips into confusion
I am writing this today,
After several hours in the yard
Weeding, stumping, hedging and mowing
To restore the fading beauty of the house
At last, it began to shine again
And now I sit praying
Lord help me to fulfill your first assignment to man
To tend and guard what you've planted for me
The garden of my life
That it may bring forth precious fruits
That glorifies your name
That neglect will no longer be a habit
In the garden of my life
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB
Comments