The Broken Mower

Some things used to drive me crazy....well they still can at times.  Why is it that appliances and things always break at the worst times?

I have a dishwasher down.....washer at times...and now the lawnmower!

The lawnmower...really????!

In my culdesac all but two of us have a lawn service so I need my lawnmower to work.

The broken mower has become a symbol that keeps me aligned.  I know you might be scratching your head, but God knows how we are all wired.  He knows I love to be self sufficient and have everything planned out via my strength...my resources...my plan...my my Oh my.


By taking away the mower God once again forced me to relate to others and humbly ask for what I need. It is a small snapshot of where he has taken me the past bit of my journey, always reminding me and nudging me to depend on him more and more.

When I rely on others and not just myself, it allows for relationship and the story to expand further than my little kingdom.

My one neighbor, Lee is a handy man and has a work ethic even I could respect if not envy.  After I asked him to borrow the mower the first time he now places it fully gassed up outside his fence and in my yard waiting for me.  I gas it up after I'm done (least I can do) and we both get a laugh out of taking care of that for each other.

Last Monday I came home after a very stressful week of work and realized my whole front and side yard were mowed completely and trimmed.  I went over late at night to thank Lee who was sort of embarrassed and played it off that actually leaving his job early for one night gave him a chance to cut it for me so he could clear his head and enjoy the outdoors for once.

One of the coolest things about my lack of a mower is how I think it might play into Lee's story and where it is headed.  Without my misfortune, other blessings don't come.  In fact they lay unrealized.

Looking at Lee's ear to ear grin I realized he was blessed by doing it and I was blessed by his act of service and kindness.  More than the service was feeling connected to neighbors like in the old days before we all became self sufficient and quarantined.

Hate to be cliche but it fits...again God uses the broken