Healthy vs. Unhealthy Growth

Recently, as spring has begun to emerge in all its splendor and (ah-choo!), allergic wonder, I have been reflecting on this notion of healthy vs. unhealthy growth.

I consider myself blessed to have a relatively healthy family, a nice house to live in, a job I enjoy and believe I make a difference in, that also provides a good living for me and my family. I thank God for these blessings each and every day.

Yet, "little things" make me stop and think sometimes.

One of these "little things" is my rather feeble efforts to get some semblance of a healthy lawn growing again in my front and back yards. Ultimately, though I am humbly reminded that none oif it is ultimately "mine,"- it is all part of God's Creation which I have been entrusted with for a little while as a steward.

Anyway, last year we got a tree and stump taken out in the front, which left a conspicuous bare spot about ten feet in diameter right in the middle of the yard. I went to the local lawn and garden store, and asked one of their "expert" associates what they would recommend to get the lawn growing healthily once again. He suggested I thoroughly rake and turn over the soil in the dead spot, mix in some good topsoil, sow starter seed using a spreader, followed by watering twice a day, then followed by starter fertilizer about two weeks later once the grass seed started to take root and spring up. So that is what I did...

Sure enough- about 10-14 days later, nice green, virgin grass was beginning to sprout back up in the spot that had been left bare by the tree. I was both relieved and encouraged- my labors were paying off- or so I thought. Next I began the starter fertilizer as directed, while also continuing the watering twice daily for 1/2 hour each time in morning and right after work.

Much to my dismay, though, I noticed that an ugly sort of grayish-black mildew was beginning to emerge and was engulfing large patches of the grass I had planted and tended carefully (but apparently not carefully enough) . I later discovered that I had watered the grass too late in the day, and had not put down enough straw to absorb excess moisture resulting in the unfortunate demise of much of the new grass.

I am trying again this spring, but another challenge has reared its head in the form of an overwhelming dandy lion infestation. Dandy lions are pleasant and quite appealing to children because the yellow flower looks pretty to kids, but they are a headache to the average lawn and garden owner. Thinking I could root them out, I got out there last week and spent a couple of hours on my hands and knees digging down with my trowel and pulling them out one by one at the root.

Well, they came back- in even greater numbers three days later- pesky buggers! I have heard that the "weed and feed" spray works well- which is what I am going to try next- here's hoping for some "healthy growth"... ;-)

It all got me thinking again, though, about healthy and unhealthy growth.

There are a number of parables in the Christian gospels about healthy and unhealthy spiritual growth. Matthew chapter 13 contains several such parables:

• the parable of the sower (13:1-23)
• the parable of the weeds (13:24-30)
• and the parable of the mustard seed & yeast (13:31-35)

In the parable of the sower- we hear of seed that fell on both good and bad soil under good and bad conditions and how each fared. The seed that grew and flourished in a healthy way needed good soil, the right amount of water and sun and nutrients in order to grow.

The seed that did not receive this nourishment was choked out by the weeds or otherwise kept from growing to its potential in a healthy way. In a very powerful way, this is also a wonderful metaphor for our spiritual lives. We need to nurture our spiritual selves by:

• learning and seeking to live out God's Word in our lives
• cultivating and seeking out Christian community where we can nurture and be nurtured among believers in the family of God
• seek to replenish that well of "Living Water" spiritually in our lives by making time daily for prayer and meditation
• by seeking to live a life of "Shalom" that not only talks about but follows the way of true Peace
• reaching out to others all around us whom we encounter in life to share with them the spiritual nourishment that guides and sustains us in the midst of the challenges and stresses of daily life

In this way, by regularly seeking that spiritual nourishment and Living Water, we are renewed and can grow more fully into the person God created each of us to be.

Shalom on the journey of spiritual growth and discovery!

John