Well, back to mowing the lawn. My regular riding mower started a couple times earlier this season, but was having issues starting again, so I jumped through all the normal hoops with new gas, spark plugs, battery, etc and was still having issues. I removed the starter last week and ordered another, which just arrived. In the meantime, I dug out my old riding mower that I haven’t started for a few years, and kind of forgot why I wasn’t running it. I aired up the tires, put in a new battery and got it ready, and to my surprise, it eventually started and ran fairly well. There was an issue with a broken support for the deck, and the belt wasn’t in great condition, but it worked. I mowed for about 20 minutes till I hit a bump and the belt broke, and no more mowing. So, here I sat with one broken part for each mower and grass that kept growing. It doesn’t matter which part isn’t working…the belt, the starter, the wheels, the engine, etc,if one part is broke the whole thing doesn’t work. But there are much worse situations to be in, right?
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15
Well, in the meantime, a concerned neighbor that cares well for his year and makes mine look like a jungle in comparison has mowed my yard a couple of times over the past month to help keep things in check, which was greatly appreciated. I got a new belt back on two days ago and was able to eventually able to mow the rest of the yard before the rain started, though sharper blades would have definitely helped. So, we are back to working lawn care again, though somewhat inefficiently, and will hopefully have two working mowers withing a few days. Anyone who depends on tools or a vehicle for their work knows that if one critical part of the machine isn’t working correctly, then the whole thing doesn’t work, and then you aren’t able to work, or need to get help to do so. Its fairly similar to a teams in sports or at work, where if everyone does their part well, then the whole group functions right and gets the job done. But if one or more persons are sick or hurt and are not able to play their part, then the whole team suffers and has to fill in if able. It’s in everyone’s interest to keep the whole group functioning as the best they can, so they all benefit. How do others depend on you to play your role at work, in your family, or at church?
But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:24-27
God gives each one of us special gifts, talents, and opportunities to use them in appropriate ways. We can each use our gifts to benefit ourselves, and most of us do to earn a paycheck. We can also use our knowledge and skills to help or teach others as well when we make the time and opportunity to do so. Honestly, I enjoy doing this and seeing others grow and thrive, but I sometimes miss seeing opportunities or taking chances to do this, as I over-commit myself to so many things. I am reminded to give myself enough margin in life where I can take a few minutes to share something with my son, my friends and co-workers, brothers and sisters in Christ, and even strangers who may benefit from a word of wisdom or encouragement, or help when needed. Each little thing may not always make a great difference, but the total of these parts may help everything get done as it should in life when things break down. May you find joy in doing what you can to keep things running well, and playing your part well in this short life we are given.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. Romans 12:3-6
Yours in Christ,
Clark
