Thankful Thursday

“Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.” ~ Psalm 149:2-4 (ESV -emphasis mine)

I have always loved “baby” grass. I am not quite sure at what point in my childhood I started calling it that, but the first grass of spring is my favorite. All those tiny, super bright green blades are definitely the first sign of spring for me. I am always afraid to walk on it and spoil the beauty. I want it to last forever, but it seems to only last for a few weeks before it changes- darker, wider, and stronger.

I think our lives are a lot like that baby grass. We are so fragile when we are born (and reborn). We are so fresh and new and….well, weak. Childhood goes spinning past us in a blaze of activity, fun and sometimes sorrows. We have parents and grandparents that tend to us and protect us.

As we mature and grow “wider” and hopefully stronger, we don’t need as much tender care. We still need our parents and mentors. We often need a good mowing and weeding to be honest. More than our appearance has changed. Our purpose has changed.

You see that stronger grass has a job to do. It holds the topsoil down. It feeds various animals (and bugs-icky) It seeds itself and reproduces. It gives my babies a nice soft place to land when they fall.

Weak baby grass is exciting and beautiful, but strong grass is necessary for survival. This has never been more clear to me than now, as I feel the loss of my mother. My Daddy God has blessed me with strong grass to fall into while I let Him help me heal. I'm so thankful my mother took the time to plant the seeds of faith and to tend to my "lawn" in preparation for my future. I hope I do as well a job with my kids.