Is Your Path Straight?

It’s that time of year!

You can hear them…

You see people pushing them…

And you see people riding them!

It’s mowing season!

We have 10 acres (4 plus acres that needed to be mowed weekly), so I am extremely thankful for a riding mower!

I smile as I think about the first time I jumped on this mower last summer!

It’s referred to as a zero-turn mower!

Comments about zero-turn mowers include the following:

            “Zero-turn steering and the individual, hydraulic wheel-drive systems

provide precise maneuvering, allowing our riding mowers rotate on their own axis.”

“A zero turning radius means no grass is left uncut when the mower reaches

the end of a mowing row and makes a 180 degree turn to start the next row.”

“Zero-turn lawn mowers can help you achieve shorter mowing times,

use less fuel and cover more ground.”

“Zero-turn mowers cover a lot of ground quickly, making them a favorite

of landscapers and homeowners.”

“Zero-turn mowers are easy for anyone to operate and they ensure

a clean cut every time.”

It’s that last comment that makes me smile…”Zero-turn mowers are easy for anyone to operate”!!!

Well, almost everyone!

When I hopped on this mower for the first time last summer…all I did was go in circles!

It doesn’t have a steering wheel…it has two handles that steer the mower, which is quite different from a steering wheel!

I pulled one handle…and turned in circles…and then pulled the second handle…and turned in circles the other way!

Finally, I grabbed both handles…held them parallel…and quit going in circles!!

I took off and zig-zagged across the yard…completely getting off path and missing the nice straight line that my husband had made for me to follow!

And of course, when I looked back at my husband…he was bent over laughing as I continued to go every which way…except for following the straight path!

Now if you know my husband and my sons…making straight mowing lines is extremely important in our family!

The boys learned from their father at an early age, and both of our sons became expert mowers and took pride in their work!

I was always impressed with their well-manicured lawns…the beautiful straight lines that they left in the yard when they were finished!

No wonder the men in my family prefer me to only mow the back yard…no one sees my crooked paths when they drive by our home!

My mowing lines were never that straight…and if the truth be known…I preferred and thought it was much easier just to drive around the yard in a large circle, so I was completely fine with this arrangement!

But today…I am trying to follow in their steps…creating those straight lines as I mow the yard!

I’m happy to say that I conquered the steering mechanism of this zero-turn mower, and no longer go in circles, but my lines are still not as straight as my husband’s and son’s!

Though my lines are not perfect, I love mowing!

I love being outside…love being in the sunshine…feeling the breeze as I zip along!

Often, I spend this time thinking…praying…and just letting my mind wander from one topic to the next!

And when I look back of the lawn that has been mowed, I think of the straight path that I am attempting to create!

And I am reminded of one of my favorite verses…”Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight”…Proverbs 3:5-6.

This verse just speaks to my heart!

“Trust in the Lord”…we can turn to Him for all things!  He desires for us to turn to Him…to seek Him…to place all of our cares, concerns…everything in His hands.

There is no one who cares more about me…who loves me more than the Lord…so why wouldn’t I trust in Him completely?

“Lean not on your own understanding”…there are so many things in this world…in life…that I do not understand!

But I don’t have to!  God is telling me to lean not on my understanding…His ways are not my ways…I just have to trust in Him!

And I do…I trust Him completely!

“Submit to Him”...often we want to shy away from the word “submit”…because it means that we are putting ourselves under someone else’s authority!

But if we really think about…there is so much freedom in that single word!  Submitting to God means that I allow Him to guide my every step…the ONE who desires the very best for me is leading!

Why wouldn’t I want to submit to the ONE who loves me more than I can imagine!

“He will make your paths straight”!!

That straight path leads to our Heavenly Father!

If I trust God…if I lean on Him…submit to his authority…I will continue on that straight path!

There is no other path I desire to be on than the path that leads to Him!

Though I may not leave a straight path when I am mowing (though I am trying)…I desire to stay on the straight path that God is making for me to follow all the days of my life!

Dear Heavenly Father…I can laugh as I picture the zig-zagged path that I make when I am mowing, but I am so thankful that each day you are making a straight path for me to follow!  I’m so thankful that I can turn to you for all things…thank you for loving us so much, Lord!