Grace and Gasoline

Yesterday, I had a few extra minutes to kill while and decided to mow the property around a house that my friend owns. I’m not sure who normally does the yard or what equipment they use, but I knew there were several mowers under a tarp in the back. I checked gas and oil in 2 of the mowers and pulled and pulled, but neither started. Then I noticed the third mower was an electric.

Ever since childhood, I’ve understood electric motors better than combustible engines. As a kid, I was fascinated by the neighbor that used an electric mower and I used to tell my dad we needed one of those. It just looked “cooler.” My dad would always point out that the cord gets in the way.

So yesterday was the first chance in my life to try a childhood dream. I found several hundred feet of extension cord in a closet and set out to push this lightweight, quieter, electric mower all over the property.

The lessons learned include:
1) Dad was right (oh how I wish he were here so that I could call him and tell him that once again, he was right!). The cord is always in your way
2) More cord is not better. I thought I should unravel all the cord at one time and thereby have it all available as I worked further from the house. Bad idea. What I should have done is use one cord to mow close to the house, and then add cords as I moved to areas further from the plug.
3) Wear gloves. Since one hand is always holding the cord, you are basically mowing with just one hand. That one hand now has a big old blister from trying to push and steer all by itself.
4) Electric mowers are NOT for yards with trees, bushes, and anything sticking out of the ground that the cord will wrap around. It was quite amusing to see the tangled mess I had made.
5) An electric mower is about being tethered. It’s about slavery. A gas powered mower is about freedom.

The same is true of sin. It may look like a great idea. It may look easier, quieter, save the ozone layer and all that. In reality, however, sin is a great big chain (or bright orange cord) that keeps you from enjoying life. Grace is the combustible engine of life. Start her up and roam the neighborhood looking for things to mow. Grace allows you to mow around trees with ease, change directions effortlessly, and enjoy the experience without keeping a constant eye on the tether (sin).

I’ll take grace and gas anytime!