Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9
This week our eldest son Luke mowed our lawn for the first time. I have to admit I couldn’t be more excited. I have waited for this day since he was born. I believe it is one of the reasons you have children. ;-) You see, I have been mowing lawns since I was young and I now have someone who will take over. I am ready to retire from my weekly summer ritual.
The funny thing is that as excited I was to turn our lawnmower over to Luke, he was equally excited to take on the new responsibility. He sees it as a right of passage into young adulthood. He now asks everyday if he can mow the lawn. Perhaps it’s the $5 he earns, perhaps he feels more grown up, or perhaps it’s the feeling he gets from knowing he is doing something significant for me and our family.
I didn’t just hand him the lawnmower and a gas can and say, “Go at it.” There was training involved. We talked about the lawn mower, how to cut the lawn, and the various important safety concerns. All of these things are second nature to a veteran lawn guy like me, but to someone who is beginning, all of this is very important. I cut the first track around the yard. I helped Luke cut around his first couple of trees. I then watched carefully, helping when needed, as took on his new grown up task. The rows weren’t always even. He missed a couple of spots. But he had a great first outing.
When I was watching Luke I thought about God watching us as we take on new callings in life. I like the thought that God is always there watching. He never leaves us alone. He is always there to help. And as we get good at one task, He gives us a bigger one to tackle. Remember the words of Jesus this week as you live out your calling, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
