Mowing Straight Lines

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Mowing Straight Lines

Hebrews 12:2-3 “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

 

How do you keep from veering off course when life gets tough? Things seem to be going along smoothly and all of a sudden a difficult trial pops up and makes our life-race hard. At first our faith may be strong, but as the uphill battle continues our trust in God can waver, our pace slow, and perhaps we are even tempted to give up and sit down on the sidelines. There is only one thing that can keep us headed in the right direction – our focus.
Growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey we didn’t have much grass in our front or back yard. Consequently I never had the chance to mow the lawn. That was something Grandpa always took care of.
After Dad and I got married and moved to Ohio, I had the joy of learning how to keep a well-manicured lawn. Dad showed me how to fill the push mower with gas and start the engine. But I noticed that after pushing the mower through the yard it didn’t look as good as when Dad did it. The mow lines were all crooked and unmatched instead of straight and even like Dad’s.
He explained to me that the way to keep them straight was to focus on a stationary object at the other end of the yard and to aim towards it. Don’t go by the contour of the lawn or my eyesight. When I started to do this the end product was so much better and I was proud of how things looked when I was finished.
As we run our personal life-race we also must have a focus. But that focus is a person not an object. We must fix our eyes on Jesus who is the author and perfecter, or finisher, of our faith. He faced the deepest of trials when He took our sins upon Himself. And because he loved us He endured a death reserved for murderers and thieves. He, too, had a focus – He set His sights on the joy of restored relationships with us and with God. By dying and rising again He ensured our victory over death through Him.
When we face difficulties in life we must consider Jesus, Who endured such hostility from sinners, so that we will not grow weary or lose heart. If we do not have Jesus as our focus, our faith will grow weak; our lack of focus on a worthy goal will cause us to veer; and our paths will never be straight. But when we fix our eyes on Jesus and consider Him and only Him, we will never grow weary or lose heart.
I found out at 27 years old that I really like to mow the grass. I especially love the way it smells and looks when the lines are straight and even. And I never forgot the lesson that my focus on a distant object will help me attain the end result I can be proud of.
So whether you are mowing the grass or facing your next trial, keep your gaze on Someone you can trust. Fix your eyes on Jesus.

Love,

Mama

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Hi, I'm Sandy! 

I write inspirational letters based on the Bible that share words of hope, encouragement, truth, and healing to my children and anyone else who longs for a mama's touch.

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