It's that time of year - time to start mowing the yard. In Georgia, the mowing season tends to start earlier than what I like. I'd prefer the first mowing come in mid-May, instead of mid-March. However, the wild onions have been growing for at least the past month and now the grass, in spots, is starting to catch up!

To prepare for the mowing season, for me, means bringing the mower into the house and putting the battery on the charger for 24 hours. I have a key-start, self-propelled walking mower that does a pretty good job. I like the key-start as it starts right up and I don't have to pull the cord. So, with the help of my friend, Bonnie, we brought the mower to the house from the shed on Saturday afternoon. I hooked up the charger to the mower and let it do it's thing.

24 hours later, I took the mower outside and attempted to start it. It acted like it wanted to start but it wouldn't take off and go. So, taking the tune-up kit I had purchased in the fall, I decided the problem might be the spark plug. I replaced that with a new one and tried again. Still, no success. OK, maybe it just needs to charge a little longer.

I let it charge another 24 hours. Tried again on Monday morning to start it. Still acting like it wanted to start but just wouldn't take off. I needed to leave for the office and decided, I'll ask Papa Joe (Countiss) at the office what he thinks might be my problem.

I talked to Joe and he asked me if I had checked the filter. And how old was the gas? I told him I had put the last of the gas from last fall in the mower and he said, "Well, you might want to dump that out and put fresh in it."

This morning, I changed the filter, drained the old oil out and put in new, and tried starting it again. Still sounding like it wants to start, but it's not taking off. Hmmmmmm.....could it be??? I dumped out the gas as well on a nearby red ant mound (it makes them move elsewhere, which is OK with me because when they bite me, I itch like crazy for days unless I take Benedryl). I turned the key just one more time and the mower took off! For about 5 seconds, it sprang to life! And then it ran out of gas......I think I know the problem! I need FRESH gas! I put the mower back in the shed with a smile, knowing that my next step in the lawn mower saga is to go get some new gas before the weekend. Alright!

I came back in the house and the Lord spoke to my heart about some recent things I've been going through and dealing with. Here's what  I'd journaled before dealing with the mower this morning:

   "Sometimes, as much as I fight change, I like it. Yes, granted, at my pace, my choice. This has been a tough season and the transitions haven't always been smooth. Bumpy at times, a jerky ride at best. But I know in my heart and mind that You haven't left me, haven't forsaken me and You hold me close. I think if I thought You weren't in this, I'd up and quit. I need You more than ever."

After the mower had started, here's what I had written:

  "OK, sometimes we need to learn from the past to move forward. Sometimes the old gets stale. The new brings freshness and restores and revitalizes life.

   God, You are good!"

My lawn mower lesson is this:

God has given me the past to learn from it. I've known what to do with the mower because of past problems. I've learned what I need to check, what needs to be changed and how to do it right. But there are things that I haven't come across before that will challenge me and cause me to be stretched in my ability to adapt and, dare I say it, change! That's not a bad thing. It can be used for so much good in my life.

Sometimes, doing the same things the same way all the time gets a little "stale". We may need to step back and re-examine ourselves to determine what isn't working as well as it used to. There's nothing wrong with asking ourselves questions: What do we need to update or revamp? What needs to be restored? What do we need to learn anew? 

Much like fresh gas makes my mower run, freshness and newness in my walk, in my relationship with Him, jump starts my life and makes it come alive. When He tells us that "all things work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose," we can count on that. In the midst of changing seasons, He is constant and faithful.

And that, folks, is what my lawn mower taught me today! :)