Be a Clump of Green Grass

Greetings in the Lord!

On Easter I was bummed to have to stay home and get well--I was diagnosed with 'walking pneumonia' around that time. But the day was so beautiful that I just had to sneak out and take a walk in the hills surrounding our campus. On my trek I took pictures of newly sprouted blooms on the fruit trees, but noticed the colorful contrast with those blooms and the otherwise lifeless and brown landscape.

Then I came upon something so odd that I stopped and studied it for awhile--it was a bright green clump of grass right in the middle of the worn path! It almost looked as if someone had cut out a circle of lawn turf and planted it there.

It was odd too, how on an hour long walk I saw no other clumps of green grass anywhere, let alone in the middle of a pathway.

Quickly recognizing it as a sign, I took out my camera and took pictures of the strange occurrence and pondered its meaning in my heart for a week. I kept waiting to hear more from the Holy Spirit about it, but He was silent, so I concluded it was a reminder that we are called to bring the life of Jesus Christ to a dead world.

One week later, in a conversation with a young Christian, the Holy Spirit began to speak about the "green grass clump" sign. Yes, we are called to bring the life and light of Jesus to a lost and darkened world, but also that we must not be afraid to stand out in the pathway. Our lives should be just like that green clump--forcing people to take notice and walk around us lest they trip on the upraised clump. Living a righteous life will do that sometimes--it can bring conviction to the wayward. I also noticed how there were much longer strands of grass--withered and dead, coming from this clump almost as if they were bowing to the bright green grass. Interesting indeed!

I discerned, too, that it was a sign of provision among all the deadness; that in Him we are like a tree planted by a stream--we will not fear the heat or anything because our water source will not dry up. Our leaves will always be green and we will always produce fruit in season. I understood the sign was a warning to stay "planted" where the Lord wants you to be to continue in His provision. If we wander off this season to follow our own desires, we may find ourselves walking in a desert....thirsty, hungry, and searching for provision. It is not a time to be rebellious and careless, but rather, to cling to the hand of the One who guides and provides, loves and cares for us. We are being planted in the middle of the pathways of people's lives, to be noticed and promoted among the surrounding nations--but understand something, being in the middle of the pathway can be precarious. If we let ourselves to turn "brown" like the surrounding deadness, we will be trampled on as nothing in the pathway. That's what Psalms 106 & 107 talk about: because Israel made bad choices and became like the nations, they were trampled on and had to cry out to God for deliverance.

"Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord."

Psalm 107:43

~Be blessed and be a blessing.