David’s Blog

The other day while stopped at a red light I watched a lawn technician blow grass clippings from  the curb into the middle of the intersection. He actually pointed the nozzle at the curb and directed the grass away from the median, pausing only when cars were near.

Then while driving down a different street I witnessed another with a pack on his back blowing grass from the curb into the street. It strikes me as particularly useless, most likely in a few hours those grass clippings will be “blown” right back to the curb or simply scattered by the wind or by the breeze from a passing vehicle. Or maybe a shower will wash them somewhere new…

I guess it is another convenience of our culture? Mow the grass, get it done, without stopping to empty a bag of clippings. Then blow them away from out of the yard and somewhere else, out of sight out of mind…

We do that a lot with our lives, throw a bunch of energy at something and hope it works out or blow a bunch of money on a project and hope that blinds observers to a flaw. Maybe worse, we stack our schedule full of activity so that we can ignore the “heart” stuff and hope it goes away. Grass clippings aren’t so destructive but sin can be, relational issues won’t be easily swept away and other nagging shortcomings are weightier than dried, withered debris.

We need to take the time to deal with our lives. Periods of quiet and confession are valuable commodities. Seek out and create accountability with someone you know and trust. Whatever the plan, it shouldn’t be random. Don’t blow it.

My family and I have spent several weeks this summer on vacation and semi-vacation. One was a vacation to Disney World and the other was the semi-vacation to a Little League World Series in Alexandria, Louisiana. Both of those places definitely qualify as hot, as in temperatures, and let me say, it is not a dry heat!  

In Florida as we entered the park du jour we would grab a map and then some shade to plot out our path to our favorite attraction. Along the way we would dart from shade and shadow to enjoy the subtle coolness of the temperature difference. If we ended up standing in line, shade was a premium commodity. Otherwise, out in the open staying in the sun we would wilt as the humidity and heat seemingly smothered us.

In Louisiana most of our games were played around 1pm, in the heat of the day (the weather forecast called for heat index of 107 degrees!). Thankfully the stands and dugouts were covered providing shade for the fans and players. Each day we would try to pick which side we sat on based on the movement of the shadow cast by the roof over those stands. I think I must have said, “Sit down and take a drink” a thousand times.  

As I thought about the shade and shadows I was reminded of a song lyric and some scripture. The song was by 80s artist Steve Camp, titled, Shade for the Children. In it he sings, “I want to be shade for the children…” Several verses mention shade and shadows as a refuge from the heat and protection from enemies. Psalm 36:7 reads, “…the children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” In light of parenthood I was reminded of our responsibility to teach and protect our children. They don’t know the life or death potential of playing in the hot sun. Their body heat rises, the sun and humidity adds to that plus they are having so much fun they don’t stop to rest or take a drink which could be a bad combination.

Heat and its effects can be subtle just like evil. There are so many other environments where we must be wise and ready to act and speak for our children. Children need us to think ahead for them at this stage in their lives. We can be the shade they need to rest under and provide a reprieve from the “heat” of the day. And, if I’m in God’s shade that is the safest place for my kids. So, I’ll look for God’s shade and shadow in those choices I make for me and for my children.

We have them everywhere, lines in geometry are good; a straight line is a quick way to get some place; we park between them usually; fishing line is important if you want to catch a fish; we say to color in between the lines but when it comes to waiting in line, ugh.

Have you been in the express line at the grocery store and someone walks up with more than 20 items? I’m not sure what is worse that or having someone in a “regular” line question the amount they were charged for a roll of paper towels that might save them 10 cents. The post office can be a bad place to be when you’ve been in line for awhile and one of the two cashiers goes on break. How about a line at the courthouse for a car registration that snakes around the middle of the room? I was there not so long ago and decided to people watch for about 30 minutes. People talk about the weirdest things in line…

As usual someone eventually gets upset in these situations and then look around for someone to be on their side or try to verbally justify their emotion. Maybe I’m too laid back but I don’t get it. Life is scheduled down to the second and we always have people to see and places to go. However, the object of our ”wrath” often has little to do with the circumstance (unless you are waiting in a fast food drive through line and they get your order wrong, right?).  

Try to smile and leave those servants surprised. Make their day with a kind word and a smooth transaction. I don’t foresee us ever getting rid of lines at least not the kind you wait in…