Every evening Rori and I take a long walk around our neighborhood. During our recent 4-5 week dry spell we had to be on the lookout for sprinklers that watered sidewalks and walkers as well as lawns.  Rori prefers to avoid the sprinklers, I prefer water dodgeball.  On particularly hot nights I make sure I lose and am hit with an errant and refreshing spray of water.

As we power-walk around the ‘hood, it is easy to spot the yards with sprinkler systems (in ground and above) and those without.  Our neighborhood has become a patchwork of green and brown, vitality and decay, life and death.

For 4-5 days I debated whether to pull out the hoses and sprinklers and start watering my yard or let it be.  I prefer to leave the vitality of my yard up to God, as an expression of  my faith, conservation, and frugality.  As the grass began to whither my internal debate became more vigorous.  Dead grass is worse than an inflated water bill.

Thursday evening I decided it was time to water the yard.  Friday, by God’s grace, the rains came and have continued to come with enough regularity that my grass is beginning to show signs of life again.

Last night as we walked the neighborhood Rori and I noticed that a few yards were not greening-up.  The dry spell and heat wave were too much stress for the grass.  Even though the grass died, the weeds were flourishing.  By waiting too long to water the grass, these homeworkers had a double dose of extra work – get rid of the weeds, then seed, feed, and water waiting for the new grass to sprout and flourish.

Many Christians treat their soul, like those neighbors who neglected watering their yards a few days, perhaps a week, longer than they should.

As a Pastor it is sad to observe Christians who once had a vital faith, but have let it go dormant, much less die, while weeds take hold of their life and eventually overwhelm their faith.

These Christians are the ones who frequently say, “I can go to worship next week.  I really do not need to know God’s Word.  I can handle this stress without prayer and God’s provision.”

Innocent decisions made when life is good and faith is strong, can give become bad decisions which deprive these believers of the meaningful, fulfilling, joyous, and peaceful life they once enjoyed.

I tell Christians, “Worship is the Main Event in the life of a Church and a believer!”  Regular weekly worship and time with God is as vital to a thriving life, as water is for your yard.

Drought-driven and heat-stressed yards will go dormant before they die. But if left unattended for too long, the grass will die.  The is true for Christians.

This analogy fits for lawns and souls.  This does not surprise me, the Lord created and tends to both.