THE BEST NEWS OF ALL

One of my very talented blog friends is Ceil Ryan.  The link to her blog is here.  She graciously has consented to be the guest blogger today.

Enjoy!

The Best News of All

Last year we were seriously considering putting an addition on the back of the house. We planned a bigger kitchen, and a new family room with a fireplace. My sister “The Architect” drew up the plans for us after hours of measuring and talking over design ideas.

Because we figured the lawn would get torn up in the construction phase, we abandoned our usual lawn service. No use encouraging growth only to have it dug up, or plowed under by a backhoe.

Plans in hand, we contact three contractors to come out and give us estimates on the job. So that was an eye-opener. It would cost more than we paid for our house. Yikes. Holy Cow. I tried to look passive as we heard the news, but I was shocked. I really wanted that fireplace.

Well, so much for that. We consoled ourselves with the knowledge that we’d use our construction budget to spruce up the house over a few years. Maybe even install that fireplace. Yeah, it’s disappointing, but it’s not the end of the world.

Someone should have told my grass. Unfortunately, without the fertilizer and varmint treatments we usually applied, it was struggling. We had mysterious brown patches here and there, and the grass wasn’t as green as usual. I found out the the lack of grub worm treatment caused quite a baby-boom under the surface of my lawn. Grub party at my house! All those youngsters were snacking on the roots of the grass, causing the brown patches.

The Creeping Charlie that grows unchecked in my neighbor’s yard saw it’s chance to make a break for it too. It’s vines began snaking under the fence and infiltrating the back yard. If there was ever a ‘Lord of the Flies’ for lawns, ours would be the poster child.

One lousy season without care, and our lawn was a disaster. It was a real lesson in the importance of being vigilant. The absolute necessity of caring and feeding.

The same principle applies to our spiritual lives.

We all need to feed our souls through prayer, spiritual reading, participating in the sacramental life and by encouraging each other. If we ignore these things, even for a little while, our souls will suffer. The Creeping Charlie of doubt and busyness will choke off our strong roots, while the cares of the world lean in to sap our strength.

Good news! The lawn is on the rebound. After just one application of lawn food, our grass is turning a beautiful, healthy shade of green. And the Good News is, so will we. Although our spirits flag from lack of good food, they will become strong again with renewed attention.

No matter how long it’s been since we’ve been nourished, we can always grow strong again. As we turn back to the Lord, the steady, warm rays of His love will revive and renew. It’s never too late with God.

That’s the best news of all.