I love mowing the lawn. Ever since I was a kid, if I had a chance to walk behind that push mower and go back and forth, I did. Now – true confessions – as a teenage country girl, summer time meant I usually wore a tank top or a bathing suit top while cutting grass; no harm in getting a tan while getting work done. Later, as I was able to hoss the mower into the trunk of the car, I would drive to my grandparents’ house in town and cut their lawn. In some ways, their lawn was different from ours. The back yard sloped upward in the very back and the ground was often littered with black walnut pods.
As time passed, I graduated from a push mower to a riding mower as the amount of grass increased. A yard was one thing, but acres of ground required more power to get the job done and still have time for other chores. The one thing I quickly learned on the riding mower was the power of a straight line.
Cutting grass in a straight line with a push mower mattered, but now, with more ground to cover, straight lines were of greater importance. And they were more difficult for me. When I first took the old 455 John Deere lawn tractor out to cut the grass, the results were not pretty. I thought I had been going in a straight line – most of the time. True, I occasionally would get side tracked and the lines showed. Other times I would hit bumps in the road, and the lines told the story. Then there were times I decided to cut random sections which veered off the straight line trajectory; and it showed.
Glenn, who would cut grass and plow a field in straight lines with his eyes closed, had patience with me as I learned to mow grass in this way. Over time, I have gotten better with my straight lines. On the lawn and in my walk with Jesus.
Scripture records over a dozen verses about traveling in a straight path. My life verse, Proverbs 3:5-6, reminds us:
Trust in the Lord with all your strength. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make your path straight. (NIV)
Old Testament writings found in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the Psalms all talk about straight paths. Even in Isaiah 40:3, the straight path has an importance in making the way for Jesus in the Gospels (Matt. 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, John 1:23). Using the gospel as the point upon which we set our direction, is like Glenn reminding me to keep my keys on a particular point so I can go straight. When my gaze in my daily walk goes off in all different directions, or bumps in life shift my focus, the path I travel often goes where I don’t need to go.
By the Spirit, we can set a straight course across the byways and seas we must travel. (ref. Acts 2:1). In Acts 9, two men were on a path – Saul powered by his agenda and Ananias powered by his obedience to God. A holy encounter led their paths to cross when Ananias, who was just minding his own business, was directed to go to the street called Straight to find a blinded-by-the-light Saul who was praying and needed help in getting on the right path. A Street called Straight. Coincidence? There is never a coincidence with God.
So why do straight paths matter?
According to some lawn aficionados, the aesthetically appealing straight lines of a lawn mean that you take seriously the task at hand. But the same “experts” will be quick to tell you that it isn’t good to rely on your eye sight alone when attempting to make straight lines.
For those plowing in the fields, the straight lines allow for efficiently in planting, growing, and harvesting an abundant crop. And a farmer will be quick to remind you that you will never plow straight lines by looking back.
For those who are looking to walk in a straight way, Hebrews 13:12 says:
and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. NLT
Beauty in life. Effective sowing of the gospel. Healing and not causing harm. All results of straight lines.
Traveling on the straight path with Jesus makes a difference in our life because it makes a difference in the world around us. But only if we rely upon him as we seek to move forward. It is not about appearing to look good – it’s about showing people the way to our Savior who is good.
Eugene’s Message Paraphrase of Proverbs 4 :26 puts the straight way into clear words:
Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you.
I am still a work in progress at making straight lines paths – in my mowing and in my faith life. Keeping my eyes on the one who made the grass and made me is the only way to get it straight while operating under His power that is greater than me. So if you see me on that old John Deere and I’m not going as straight as you think I should, then remember: there’s grace for that. Thanks be to God.