Mowing The Lawn

I love mowing the lawn. Now let’s be clear. Gigi does all the push mowing, by her choice, and I ride the comfortable John Deere. We have always mowed our own lawns. It’s good therapy. For me it is particularly good therapy because I get to smoke a good cigar as I ride and relax.

Here’s the thing though. As I am riding I think to myself, “What if one of the church folks sees me smoking this cigar? What will they think of me, their pastor?” Our lawn borders two busy streets. Sometimes I try to be careful not to mow close to the road where the cars are passing by.

Anyway today I got to thinking, 'Man, Christians can be some uptight people.' Sometimes we are too vigilant about the behavior of people around us and what’s worse is we can be too vigilant about our own behavior when we don’t need to be. And if you think I have problems with this, think about our Roman Catholic friends who at one time in history, not that long ago, had to be so careful about not eating meat on Fridays and watching other people eat and wondering about mortal and venial sins.

Somewhere in the Bible I have read that we have freedom as Christians, not necessarily freedom to do all sorts of immoral activities but certainly more freedom than we allow ourselves. Heck, I even find myself being too careful about what I read lest I stumble in my walk with the Lord along the literary way.

But I was talking with someone last week who told me I need to be kinder to myself and I think the person was so right. So I am riding the mower today and I really think God spoke to me and said, “George, go ahead and enjoy yourself.” God is like that you know. He put us here to serve him and to enjoy the life he has given us while we serve him to the best of our ability and talent. Jesus even turned water to wine as His first miracle.

As you read this Gigi and I are in Dallas, Texas preparing for the marriage of our son, Josh, to his fiancée, Beth. What a joy this celebration will be. And Jesus will be present at it. Someplace in the Bible it says that wine gladdens the heart. Somebody say, “Amen!”

Let’s loosen up a little. And if I am preaching here only to myself then so be it, cause I am learning a thing or two along the way.

Yours happily in Christ,

George