What was my answer? Do what I could, drink Gatorade like it was going out of style, rest more often, and mow until dark. Following this pattern, I was able to trim about 1/3 of my entire lawn, something that truly irritates me (if I’m going to start a job, I like to finish). Still, I determined that I would follow such a pattern the next day, and finish up the yard.
But here’s the thing. Remember that hottest day of the year on Monday (at least for here)? Well, Tuesday became the new hottest day of the year. What is a man to do? I found the solution: Round-Up.
That’s right, if I couldn’t trim, I’d go on a vegetation killing spree. Filling my new two-gallon pressure sprayer with an appropriate mixture of herbicide concentrate and water, I decided to take the offensive. I sprayed around my foundation, in the sidewalk seams, around steps and the mailbox, anywhere I no longer wished to push that blasted mower. (Keep in mind that on a normally heated day, it takes about 2 ½ hours to cut the entire yard; on an earlier hottest day of the year, it took nearly 4 hours, and I still didn’t get finished.)
Of particular concern was a graveled parking area next to the road in front of my property. Due to some drainage issues over the last year or so, the once bare patch has become a regular plant paradise, with vegetation just small enough to miss the spinning blade of the mower, and just tall enough to look hideous.
The bottle of Round-Up said that for greatest effectiveness, the mixture should be applied in sunshine on a warm day. Well, no problem there. After no more than ten minutes walking and spraying, I was soaked. Spraying that troublesome gravel patch was the worst, because it was difficult to find out how much to spray, where I sprayed, and whether a second coating would be needed. You see, it goes to work immediately, but you don’t see the effects for a few days.
Today, two days later, once green grass and weeds are a crispy brown. The weeds are starting to die, and with good fortune, it will be a while before they return. Thank you, Round-Up.
What is of true interest is the voracity with which the weeds took over. A sprout here, a leaf there, and then, takeover. That is the way it is with our lives. If we don’t pay attention to our mind and heart, an innocent-looking thought or act can take over. As I glance out my front window I see the beautiful areas of brown that I no longer have to worry about cutting (at least in the short term), I look toward the road and don’t see as much brown as I do green. Chances are, I will need to make a second application.
Within our heart and mind, some things are a little harder to get rid of. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God are truly “weed killers,” but sometimes we need to pay special attention and apply more than one “coat” in order to get the weeds out. I am thankful that the Lord doesn’t just leave us alone to once again be taken over by the weeds of sin. But we have to be diligent to keep the weeds from taking root in the first place. If not, we suffer the consequences, including the good plants being choked out, and way too much work trying to get rid of them later.
While I’m not wishing my life away, I can’t wait for cooler weather, for the green of summer to be replaced by the colors of fall, then the (hopefully) white horizons of winter. Not only is there beauty, but I don’t have to worry about cutting that grass.
© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the
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