Chopping the Lawn

I was outside with the dogs when it started to rain, and I thought of my husband. He and I both love this kind of weather: cool temperatures, overcast skies, and falling rain. The perfect compliment to this weather?

A fire in the fireplace.

Which brings up a bit of a need. It’s only kind of a need, since the fire is just for enjoyment and not for survival. But if we’re going to have a fire, someone is going to have to chop the wood. Preferably before the wood gets soaked by the rain. Andy always chops the wood. It’s just one of those “man things” that he does, and I believe enjoys doing. But I don’t want him to have come home, after working all day, just to go out and chop firewood in the rain. So that leaves it to me.

Let me just say that I’m a bit leery of dangerous-ish physical activities. I have a life… I can’t afford to hurt myself doing something stupid.

But if we’re going to have a fire…

At first I swung tentatively, striking with my eyes closed, lodging the axe somewhere along the middle. Not really splitting the logs, but just nagging them into pieces. Then I got a little more comfortable and swung harder, burying the blade of the axe in my lawn more than a couple of times. Chopping the lawn isn’t as much due to brute strength as it is timidly swinging with my eyes closed. Make note of that. It’s profound.

At some point, I became brave enough to keep my eyes open without imagining a massive shank of wood rendering me blind. And that is when it all came together and I really found joy in the work.

I love the crisp sound of a log splitting with just one swing, the satisfying ease of movement. What a sensation! Every muscle working in tandem to swing hard and hit my target, hearing, feeling, and seeing the wood split.

I’m sure this all seems girly and dumb to you if you’re outdoorsy. Or even if you’re not. Sorry. I’ll make my point now.

As I was working, I realized that this is a great picture of our approach to life. When we are fully engaged in what is going on, the experience is so much better. Timidly chopping wood is lame. With my eyes closed, I often missed the mark. It took longer, it wasn't very satisfying, and it was actually much more difficult. I think the same is true with nearly everything. Think about your work. Even just your drive to work, or anywhere else you may go. Think about parenting your children. Loving your spouse. How much collateral damage is caused by holding something back?

My life is better when I put my whole self in it; when I open my eyes and stop haphazardly chopping the lawn.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7