Glen Avon Presbyterian Church

“Where the Grass Is Always Greener”

Rev. Lon Weaver

I’m a fan of sod. In contrast to others who have the patience to wait for grass to grow from seed, I have a great preference for covering bare patches of earth—that we have little time to garden—with a carpet of grass that has had a chance to thrive and that holds the promise of continuing to thrive on our little patches of earth. I’ve used sod to replace an extensive vegetable patch requiring much more time to cultivate than our schedule allows, sod in place of the asphalt used by a previous owner to deal with one piece of ground and sod as the more logical alternative to pavers laid upon a piece of property on a gentle grade which made it impossible to use. My most recent project occurred last summer when I used sod to replace a large bush which a couple of especially cold stretches in two preceding winters had ultimately done in.

However, it sometimes takes me a couple of tries before the sod takes. Sometimes I know the history of the ground upon which it is laid, sometimes not. Sometimes I know the amount of sun a spot receives, other times I don’t. Sometimes I take time to water it adequately to give it a fair chance to penetrate its roots into the earth, but too frequently impatience and fatigue win the day. What I discover, however, is that when I do take the time to get to know the soil, to be aware of the pattern of sunlight shed upon the space, and to give it the water it needs, life triumphs, even with sod.

The presence of God’s Spirit in our lives is a contrast to my pattern of ignorance and inattention. The Spirit knows me well, because the Spirit wove together my inward parts (Jeremiah 1:5). The Spirit is perpetually there to give us peace and insight, because it is the light of our world. (I John 1:5) The Spirit is our source of refreshment because it is like a fountain of water welling up in us to give us a taste of eternity. (John 4:14)

In these marvelous months of summer, go to that place where the grass is truly greener. Take occasional moments to step back from life, to quiet your mind and heart, and to let the Spirit bless you with its gracious gifts of self-knowledge, insight, peace, eternity.