On my way to a recent doctor’s appointment, I tried to stretch the sore muscles in my neck as I drove. The tension I was carrying had manifested itself as stiffness, and fatigue mixed with stress had put me in a very anxious state. My mind flitted from worry to worry and I felt completely overwhelmed. Reaching the final turn on my journey, I slowed down on the residential street and was immediately taken in by the scene laid out before me. A man was cutting his lawn with a push mower, and trailing behind him a bit off to the side was a tiny tow headed boy. His blond curls bobbed in the breeze as he shuffled along in little denim overalls, diligently pushing his own miniature plastic lawn mower. I slowed down the car and drank in the beautiful picture, feeling my tension ease away.
I smiled for the first time in awhile and told myself as I drove on that if they were out when I came by again, I would stop and thank them for making my day. That opportunity didn’t come, but through the following days and weeks, I couldn’t get that scene out of my mind. Something about it had deeply affected me and I felt as if there was something I was supposed to learn from the experience. After mulling it over for some time, I prayed for God to show me what it was that He wanted me to see. The answer didn’t come immediately, but was more like the gradual rays of light that come at dawn. And it was almost as if I could hear God chuckle. It was so simple! We as His children should desire to be like Him in all things! Even those every day mundane chores should be committed to Him and done for His glory. Sure, our "lawn" may not be a pristine as His, but if we follow in His footsteps and do all we can to follow His example, He will honor the simple desire of striving to be like our Father.
I don’t have to work myself to mental and physical exhaustion to try to be perfect. I just need to set the goal of becoming more like my Father every day. Proverbs 3:1 says, "My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart." And in Ephesians 5 we are told to "be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children…..for you were once darkness, but now you are light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord." The desire to be like my earthly father goes back many years, but thanks to a little boy with a plastic lawn mower, I now understand the importance of imitating my heavenly Father in every aspect of my life.
