I don’t have a nice
yard. I’ve never been good at keeping the grass thick and green. I’m not sure
why but I’m sure it’s tied to some character flaw. I’m reminded of this every
time I mow the lawn, and I use the term loosely. It’s more like patches of lawn
interspersed with patches of dirt. As much dust and dirt fly out of my mower as
grass clippings. But this mowing season there’s been an interesting
development.
My neighbors have a
nice lawn, and an even nicer lawn this year. This spring they rooted up all
their grass and had a sprinkler system installed. Then they had all new grass
brought in and, with the sprinkler system working its magic, their lawn was
better than ever. Each day, evidence of an early morning watering left their
glittering, green lawn mocking me as I walked through my dry and drooping yard.
As spring moved into
summer my neighbor’s lawn continued to flourish while mine continued to wilt
under the hot Texas sun. Then one day
while mowing, I noticed something. I got
to a section of my lawn and the mower, which normally glides over my balding
yard, met some resistance. The grass was thick. The grass was green. What was
going on? I hadn’t treated this part of the lawn any differently. Almost
magically a small section of my lawn was a landscaper’s dream. It didn’t take
long to solve the mystery.
The section of my
newly flourishing lawn was on the property line that borders the neighbor with
the recently installed sprinkler system. Apparently, there’s an east wind that
blows just enough to coax some of the life-giving water from their sprinklers
onto my lawn. It wasn’t magic. It wasn’t anything that I had done. It was
simply being in proximity to someone who cares.
Life is like my lawn.
We are affected by
those we are close to. Surround yourself with negative, pessimistic, foolish
people and you’ll soon find that attitude infecting you. Surround yourself with positive, optimistic,
wise people and you’ll soon find those attitudes infecting you. There’s a wind
in our lives that causes the beliefs and habits of others to blow into our
lives affecting us either negatively or positively. That’s why it is so
important to choose your neighbors wisely.
Michael Dell, founder
of Dell Technologies, said, “Try never to be the smartest person in the room.
And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people…or find a different room.
In professional circles it’s called networking. In organizations it’s called
team building. And in life it’s called family, friends, and community. We are
all gifts to each other, and my own growth as a leader has shown me again and
again that the most rewarding experiences come from my relationships.”
Scripture confirms it:
“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily
angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.” (Proverbs 22:24–25)
If you want a healthy
and flourishing life it is essential for you to part of a wise, life-giving
community. It’s mandatory to be in proximity to people who speak life-giving
truth into your life. There are many ways to accomplish that but let me remind
you that that’s one of the functions of church. One of the benefits of worship,
Bible study, preaching, and fellowship is the creation of positive borders in
our lives. In church we place ourselves in a position to be nourished by the
insight of others and, more importantly, to let the wind of God’s wisdom blow
into our lives.
