Journal Entry #5 - Yard work out of control!

Life: an adventure, a journey with Jesus!
Yard Work – Out of Control

Another leg of the journey is complete! We have seen Jesus in new ways during this week – specifically today 01/10/08. He orchestrates the paths we take, our steps. He does, if we let Him. We have many God stories to share. Let me share one with you.

Yard work out of control! UGH! We had an agreement when we lived in New Hampshire --everyone in the household helped with the outdoor work including gardening, mowing and snow shoveling. We had an agreement when we moved to Georgia -- Joy would shovel all the snow and Don would mow all the grass. We forgot to consider the beautiful tree-lined street and lovely shady yard would provide inches of leaves to be raked every fall and it wasn’t a favorite pastime for either of us. The grandchildren love to rake the leaves into piles and jump in them, but getting them to rake them to the perimeter of the yard along the fence line was a different story. Actually it was an impossibility!

This year was no different. The yard work was out of control. The leaves completely covered every square inch of grass (and, of course, we enjoy a rather large yard) and it had rained, rained, and rained some more. Because of the recent drought the rain was needed and appreciated. Because of the recent rain, the leaves remained wet. Because the leaves remained wet, they just remained! Our neighborhood is not a subdivision with rules and regulations and many of the yards are “natural” in appearance, but still maintained. Ours tends to be a little more natural than the others.

However, it is January and we are packing it in and leaving for Peru and one major task before us is to get the yard raked. Time is running out. Guess what. Be on the watch. God is at work. Did you know there were such beings as “yard angels”? There are. We are believers! An answer to our dilemma came when a man rang our front door bell and asked if he could rake the leaves and do some yard work for us. He and his son have a yard maintenance business and he was looking for a job. Don explained that we were leaving for Peru as full-time missionaries, so our funds were limited, but fully acknowledged our yard needed attention. The man offered to rake the yard at a price we could name. Don insisted he name his price. No, the man said he would do it for whatever we could afford to pay him. In the exchange of words that followed, we learned he is born-again and attends a mega church locally. He praised the Lord for the opportunity to meet us and for providing him with a way to serve someone in the family of God. Don knew we could come up with $50 so he made an offer, knowing the man would not accept the offer. He did! He wanted to do this at our price as unto the Lord.

He left. He returned. He prepared himself to work. And, work he did! Picking up branches and limbs from the large, old stately trees towering over our property, which had fallen during the recent wind storms provided him with more exercise that he anticipated. Blowing the leaves from the six gardens, the many shrubs surrounding the house, and the deck and two patios was the beginning of the relocation of leaves that was necessary! He raked, and filled his tarp with leaves time and again. Pulling them to the fence line which gives a natural looking, mulched area challenged him. He worked diligently until dusk. He continued during a light rain. He didn’t stop even into the dark as the yard flood lights provided him enough visibility to finish the front yard, one side yard, and get through a section of the back yard. He was determined, committed and obviously a hard worker with a goal in mind. He wanted to get the job done. He wanted to keep his word. He wanted to finish the task before the drizzle turned into a downpour. A wise man, I would say; a man who honors the Lord in his word and in his work. The job we hated to face, was completed by one who wanted to do it, at a fee we could afford, and we have gained a prayer partner in the ministry of building the Kingdom of God.

Now coming up with the $50 was a challenge Don and I were faced with. We just knew God would provide. During the afternoon, while the yard angel worked away with a smile on his face, a friend stopped by to visit. The man greeted her with a warm good afternoon and a wide grin. She even commented on the pleasant man raking our leaves. We spent about 45 minutes together and before she left, she asked if she could purchase an English Delft hot chocolate pot that we had for sale in one of the estate sales. It was sitting on a display shelf in the kitchen, still with the price tag on it from the sale. She paid us cash and was delighted with her treasure. We were thrilled to have received the ticketed price of $65 and knew we could bless our yard angel with a little more than he agreed to work for! God is good!

In summary:
We have made a new friend who will pray for us.
We have a friend who has a piece of our china who will think about us.
The yard is cleaned up for the family who will be moving in soon.
Dipping into our bank account was not necessary.
We are blessed and as was said a moment ago, God is good!