Is the Grass Always Greener?

I recently sat in on the last two sessions of a women’s Bible study which were focused on a book called “Let It Go” by Karen Ehman (http://www.karenehman.com/about-karen/). I haven’t read the book, but I hope to since what I heard from Karen’s video in those two study sessions was very good and spoke to my heart. One statement Karen made really stuck with me. “Comparison kills contentment.” How absolutely true, especially in the “air-brushed” world of social media, where everyone else’s life, family, vacation, home seem to be so much more exciting than our own………..downright perfect, in fact! In reality, the grass is NOT greener on the other side. It just appears that way because you didn’t have to tend it. Truth be told, taking care of grass is a tremendous amount of work, no matter where it grows. My husband can attest to that! Grass requires constant maintenance. Weeds of discontent, envy, unforgiveness, and a host of other relationship-killers can so quickly take root and are extremely difficult to eradicate. Just chopping them off at ground level only allows them to continue spreading until they eventually choke out the healthy grass. Karen shared in her video about a divorced, single mother who moved in next to her. I’m paraphrasing, but the gist of the story is this. From her kitchen window, Karen eyed the single mother and thought “She really has it made. She can come and go as she pleases. She’s not accountable to anyone else.” All the while, the young woman observed Karen from her window, thinking, “She really has it made. She has a husband who loves her and helps her and stayed with her.” Interesting, isn’t it, that each woman thought she wanted to EMBRACE what the other wanted to ESCAPE? We all struggle to “manage the mowing”. None of us has it all together. We need each other and can benefit greatly from each other’s struggles and life experiences. The picture you see is of our lot adjoining the lot next door. It would seem that our yard is in much better condition than the adjoining lot, but keep in mind that the neighboring yard is very much a work in progress. The house is under construction. First things first! The proper foundation had to be laid for the new home. Next, a sturdy structure to protect the family through the storms of life had to be built. In due time, the yard will receive the attention it needs and it will become healthy and green. Don’t be discouraged if your lawn seems to go through periods of dormancy. Those seasons are normal…….even necessary at times. Hold on to the promise of spring where you will see beautiful green blades begin to appear, a welcome contrast to the brown, seemingly lifeless sod. In the meantime, I think your yard looks just fine!

Sharon Bell, SMORE Board Member