Sunday, October 20, 2013

Weed Your Front Yard


How does your front yard look?  If it looks bad, overgrown with weeds, and not tidy, this is what the Bible says about that ~

I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.  
Proverbs 24:30-34

Proverbs is full of admonitions against laziness and disorder.  God is a God of order and beauty.  He wants us to be people who work hard and anything we do, to do it with all our might.

When you have a neat and tidy front yard, you are being a witness to your neighbors.  When it is ugly, you are being a bad witness.  You want them to be happy you are their neighbors and an example in every way to others.

We must not do anything that hurts or harms our witness to the power of Christ living within us.  Yes, I know this is a minor thing, but it is nevertheless important especially since there is a verse in the Bible speaking about this very problem.

So if your front yard is ugly, have a family day once a month or once a week if need be and get it cleaned up as a ministry to your neighborhood.  The same should go for the inside of your home.  Train your children to work hard and keep things neat and tidy.  This will benefit them all of their lives.

Comments (14)

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This is a good thing as long as it can be done without lawn chemicals. Those herbicides & pesticides are bad for our health and I would never use them. Our yard has weeds and we mow the grass/weeds often enough I think. I hope our neighbors aren't too disappointed in us, but honestly I'm disappointed in the neighbors who use those unhealthful chemicals on their lawns.
1 reply · active 597 weeks ago
I agree, Tommie. We don't use any chemicals in our yard either.
Is that your home and garden Lori? WOW!!! It is beautiful!
oxoxoxo
1 reply · active 597 weeks ago
No, it's not mine but it is beautiful!
Sometimes when a neighbor's yard isn't kept up it can be because they are ill. One of the nicest things a neighbor ever did for me was rake and clean up my yard when I was going through breast cancer treatment. It would not have happened otherwise and maybe some other neighbors would think I was just being lazy.

I don't have a yard now as I live in a downtown neighborhood. But if I ever have a yard again I want it to be all wildflowers.
Funny to log on and read this post today! My husband and I were just talking last night as we cleaned the house together, about how happy it makes us. It's like an instant mood boost to make our surroundings beautiful. It makes our home feel like a place where the Spirit can dwell. My husband takes immaculate care of our yard, and I am so thankful. Great post Lori.
We use a lawn service. That way we have a "good witness" (not distressing our neighbours with an unsightly lawn) -- plus we contribute to the economy by helping people have jobs, and it gains us a reasonable amount of family leisure time.
That made me smile because thanks to my husband we have the prettiest yard on our block. It's not fancy and landscaped but the grass is beautifully manicured and he planted ivy in the areas where grass won't grow. Our Red Oaks are pretty cool too this time of year. Since we live in the south our grass is still green...never thought of it as a witness.
I think there is a balance on this issue. As I've gotten older, I've learned to carefully evaluate everything I do and I pray for God's wisdom in doing what is important and discarding things that would be nice to do, but that I don't have time for. I think lawn and flower bed care is not super high on the priority list. We have 8 children (ages 1 to 13) and I homeschool them. We keep our lawns mowed, but truthfully our flower bed often looks like a chaotic wilderness by the end of the summer. I have some back issues and my husband's limited free time goes into our vegetable garden. I don't think the flower bed looks BAD, actually, but it isn't neat and tidy. We also avoid lawn chemicals for the reasons listed above. Our house is in decent shape, but it isn't nearly as clean and uncluttered as I would like. But it is all about priorities...limited time, energy, and health, and I need to put my time into the areas that the Lord points out as most important.
Stephanie was a precious thought!
Jilly oxoxo
It can also be worthwhile to consider whether a traditional lawn is a worthwhile endeavor. A maintenance-free front area, with paving stones, drought-resistant plants, etc. may be a better use of time and resources for some (esp. if they live in an area prone to drought).

The quote from Proverbs refers to fields for crops, of course. Lawns for cosmetic purposes are not something that would have been common in ancient Israel, where every drop of water was precious.
You mention that Chuck gave your more ways to pave the way (directly) after he moved out. I am curious as to what you mean by this? I have laid the foundation too with my MLC'er, and contact did become less frequent; however, the last few weeks he is making more of an attempt to reconnect and start to build trust again between us.
This a simple article with a strong message in it. You totally have a grip on this and did a great job. The front yard of your house is the face of your house and if you are not taking proper care paving at its best of it then definitely you are leaving a bad impression on the neighbors.

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